The Jacksonville Jaguars had a logjam at running back in the offseason. They simply had too many talented players at the position and not enough room on the 53-man roster to keep all of them. In the end, DeeJay Dallas was ultimately the odd man out. The good news is that he quickly found a new home with the Minnesota Vikings, albeit on their practice squad, after the Jags released him on cutdown day. Moreover, he's wasted no time making an impact.
Dallas was promoted to the active roster in the season opener via standard elevation against the Green Bay Packers. He mostly saw playing time on special teams, but the Vikes liked him enough that they chose to sign him to the 53-man roster rather than bring in external help after placing fellow running back Jordan Mason on the Injured Reserve list.
Former Jaguars RB DeeJay Dallas is now on the Vikings 53-man roster
Jodan Mason suffered a thumb injury in Week 1. That led the Vikings to try out several running backs in the aftermath. However, they didn't sign one and instead promoted DeeJay Dallas to the active roster after putting Mason on IR.
In his debut with the Purple & Gold, Dallas played 29 snaps on special teams and logged six snaps on offense, catching one reception on one target for one yard. The former Miami Hurricane will most definitely keep seeing time on special teams. However, he could also have a bigger role on offense.
DeeJay Dallas special teams ace pic.twitter.com/5l5vwnKO2O
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) September 13, 2026
Make no mistake, Aaron Jones remains RB1 on the Minnesota depth chart, but Dallas could earn a few carries during Jordan Mason's absence.
Dallas signed with the Jags late in 2025 when Bhayshul Tuten suffered a finger injury. He inked a new one-year deal but struggled to make an impression in training camp and the preseason. The Brunswick, Georgia native was released on cutdown day. Before Jackonville, he had played for the Seattle Seahawks, the Arizona Cardinals, and the Carolina Panthers.
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DeeJay Dallas is thriving after the Jaguars cut ties with him
Not every player can be a Pro Bowler, let alone be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but can still have a successful career. By now, you may be asking, what do you mean by a successful career? When you take into account that the average career in the NFL lasts less than 3.0 years, playing five or six seasons already constitutes success.
Heck, you don't need to be a starter. Every team needs role players, veteran leaders, and special team contributors. DeeJay Dallas checks off all three boxes. He'll give his all everywhere he's gone. Teams pay attention to that, which is why the Vikings signed him to their practice squad and subsequently to the 53-man roster.
It surely stung when the Jaguars released DeeJay Dallas, but the Minnesota Vikings signed him because they know he can have a positive impact.
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