Vikings Release Running Back
With the caveat that he’ll probably return to the practice squad soon, the Minnesota Vikings released running back Myles Gaskin on Thursday.
Vikings Release Running Back
The Vikings are 4-0 entering Week 5 and embark on an international adventure this weekend in London against the New York Jets. They’ll do so with an extra tight end, Robert Tonyan, on the roster instead of Gaskin.
Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer tweeted Thursday, “Vikings cut RB Myles Gaskin, who could return to the practice squad, and signed TE Robert Tonyan to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game vs the Jets Tonyan had been up for the past two games since TE Nick Muse fractured his left hand vs. the 49ers.”
At least for a few days, these are the Vikings’ running backs without Gaskin attached to the roster:
- Aaron Jones
- Ty Chandler
- Zavier Scott (Practice Squad)
All signs point to Gaskin’s reemergence on the practice squad, as the organization has frequently played hot potato with him on the active roster and PS over the last year.
Two weeks ago, the aforementioned Muse injured his hand in a Week 2 win over the San Francisco 49ers, and although the ailment wasn’t totally severe, Minnesota placed him on injured reserve and promoted Gaskin to the active roster. He lasted 15 days.
Gaskin has seen on-the-field action in 2024 on two offensive plays and 20 special teams snaps. He was — and might still be if the practice squad assignment materializes — the team’s RB3, third in line if injuries beset Jones or Chandler.
The veteran runner initially joined the Vikings roster late in the summer of 2023 after the club auditioned men like Kareem Hunt and Mike Davis for the gig. The Dolphins cut Gaskin loose during roster trimdowns, and Minnesota pounced. Thereafter, he was the odd man out (for a while) when Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah swung a low-risk trade for Cam Akers last September. Gaskin then returned to the Vikings practice squad.
Soon after, the Rams stole Gaskin from the Vikings practice squad in October, a contingency plan when Kyren Williams hit injured reserve. But when Williams returned to the field after that, plus contributions from Darrell Henderson and Royce Freeman, Gaskin became expendable.
Then, on November 7th, 2023, the Rams dropped him from the depth chart, and the Vikings re-signed Gaskin a week later. An adventure, indeed. Minnesota kept him around this offseason.
If Minnesota re-ups with Gaskin for the practice squad, it’ll likely occur in the next few days.
Gaskin will turn 28 in February.
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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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