Vikings Release Another Cornerback
Last week, the Minnesota Vikings surprised their fan base by releasing second-year cornerback Dwight McGlothern, only to re-sign him two days later to the practice squad. Soon after, Minnesota did the same thing, this time dropping cornerback Shemar Bartholomew, who probably will not be re-signed.
The Vikings released another cornerback, continuing a surprising stretch of roster churn in a secondary searching for stability.
All told, Bartholomew lasted about two weeks with the Vikings.
Vikings Drop CB Shemar Bartholomew
This move didn’t fetch much outrage — unlike the McGlothern transaction.
Shemar Bartholomew Released by Minnesota
Bartholomew’s time in Minnesota ended on Tuesday. The Vikings’ social media team tweeted, “The Vikings have released CB Shemar Bartholomew from the practice squad.”
Most fans commented on the brevity of Bartholomew’s stay and chided the club for employing so few cornerbacks. Minnesota initially signed Bartholomew earlier this month when cornerback Jeff Okudah hit injured reserve after sustaining his second concussion of 2025.
Bartholomew is expected to clear waivers and will be able to sign with any team by the end of the week.
The Vikings’ CB Room Entering Week 13
Before and after the Bartholomew release, Minnesota employed one of the skinniest cornerback rooms in the NFL. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores prefers to use safeties on passing downs more than most clubs, so the franchise just kind of glosses over cornerback depth.
Here’s the current CB unit:
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Fabian Moreau
- Jeff Okudah (Injured Reserve)
- Dwight McGlothern (Practice Squad)
- Zemaiah Vaughn (Practice Squad)
- Tyrek Funderburk (Practice Squad)
Minnesota has no standout cornerbacks. Murphy Jr., Rodgers, and Moreau are merely pretty decent.
Bartholomew’s Background
Bartholomew entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2024, signing with the New York Jets at the end of April. He immediately flashed in the preseason — enough that several Jets analysts and fans talked themselves into believing he was a lock for the 53. That optimism didn’t survive roster cutdowns. New York moved on before Week 1 ever arrived.
The league noticed, though. Four teams put in waiver claims the next day, with Carolina edging out the rest to bring him in. Bartholomew went on to log appearances in five games for the Panthers, totaling 17 defensive snaps and 34 more on special teams, giving him at least a foothold in real NFL action.
He remained with Carolina through the 2025 offseason and into the summer, but the story repeated itself. When the dust settled on roster decisions, he was again pushed off the active squad and funneled to the practice unit. Even that didn’t last. The Panthers cut ties on August 27th, ending that chapter. Now, Minnesota has done the same, closing out yet another short stop on Bartholomew’s tour around the league.
Faith in Fabian Moreau at CB3
Before the regular season started, reporters asked Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah about the suspect cornerback depth. He immediately pivoted to Moreau — and Adofo-Mensah wasn’t kidding.
Moreau, originally a practice squad member back in September, has leapfrogged the depth chart, taking McGlothern’s spot, and will remain the CB3 through the end of the season.
For his troubles, Moreau has logged a 72.2 passer-rating-against and 63.1 Pro Football Focus grade.
He’s their guy at CB3 — not unlike Shamar Stephen at defensive tackle during the Mike Zimmer days, an unsung defender who the coaches loved.
Janik Eckardt on Bartholomew, the Vikings’ CBs
Our Janik Eckardt noted on the Bartholomew release, “The young defender had just signed a couple of weeks ago. He never suited up in purple. The remaining three CBs on the practice squad are Dwight McGlothern, Zemaiah Vaughn, and Tyrek Funderburk. McGlothern recently appeared in some headlines because the Vikings just demoted him in favor of Fabian Moreau.”
“He never got the chance to show his talent, yet the franchise kept him on the 53-man roster. After demoting and releasing him, the sophomore returned and signed to stick around on the practice squad. This time, the interest wasn’t nearly as high, and he had been looking for a job ever since. The Vikings finally ended his month-long search, at least for a couple of weeks.”
Fans can pretty much pencil cornerback in as a 2026 offseason need. It will be near the forefront.
“The Houston native is now looking for a job once again. Perhaps the Vikings felt good about their depth because Okudah is set to return from his stint on IR. He has been sidelined with his second concussion of the season and missed the last four games,” Eckardt added.
“That’s making him eligible to return. Whether that will be the case, though, remains to be seen and will likely be answered in the near future. All we know is that Bartholomew, 25, won’t be part of the team as we advance into the final third of the season.”
Bartholomew will turn 26 this summer.
Minnesota travels to Seattle this week for a date with Sam Darnold’s Seahawks. Max Brosmer is on deck as the Vikings’ quarterback, with J.J. McCarthy in the league’s concussion protocol.
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