Ex-Vikings RB Picks Jaguars as Next Team

By now, former Minnesota Vikings running back Ameer Abdullah has been all over the place, this time signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2026 campaign.

Abdullah has another NFL stop, and the Jaguars have another veteran in the mix.

Abdullah, a speedy and savvy veteran, will fight for a 53-man roster spot at training camp and in the preseason.

Jacksonville Adds More Experience behind Bhayshul Tuten

Make that seven NFL teams in 11 years for the 32-year-old.

JAX Signs Abdullah

Evidently needing another dependable RB body, Jacksonville took the plunge on Monday, and NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote, “Jacksonville has added a veteran running back. The Jaguars announced on Monday that they’ve signed Ameer Abdullah. Abdullah, who turns 33 in June, spent last season with the Colts, mainly playing special teams.”

“However, he did have 60 yards rushing with one touchdown, along with 16 catches for 99 yards. Abdullah spent the previous three seasons with the Raiders, tallying 311 rushing yards with two TDs plus 40 catches for 261 yards with three touchdowns in 2024.”

Once upon a time, Abdullah was a 2nd-Round pick by the Detroit Lions in 2015. He’s known for his game speed.

Career Production and Stop in MIN

Abdullah played in 45 games over four seasons with the Vikings, establishing himself as a versatile contributor on both offense and special teams. As a rotational back, he recorded 38 carries for 187 yards and 27 catches for 173 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Former Vikings skipper Mike Zimmer primarily used Abdullah for kick returns and special teams, a role in which his speed and reliability were crucial to securing his roster spot for multiple seasons.

All told, Abdullah has played 11 seasons in the big leagues, with 154 games, 2,054 rushing yards, 9 rushing touchdowns, 1,567 receiving yards, and 11 receiving touchdowns. He returned a punt return touchdown, too, with the Panthers in 2021.

This is his full resume:

• Detroit Lions (2015–2018)
• Minnesota Vikings (2018–2021)
• Carolina Panthers (2021)
• Las Vegas Raiders (2022–2024)
• San Francisco 49ers (2025)
• Indianapolis Colts (2025)
• Jacksonville Jaguars (2026-now)

The Jaguars’ RBs

The Jaguars don’t employ the league’s most elite running back corps, but the unit has potential, especially if Tuten pops off into stardom.

Here’s a look at the Jaguars’ lay of the land at RB:

• Bhayshul Tuten
• LeQuint Allen
• Chris Rodriguez
• DeeJay Dallas
• Ameer Abdullah
• Ja’Quinden Jackson
• J’Mari Taylor

Following the Abdullah addition, BlackandTeal.com‘s Carlos Sanchez insisted that the club needs pass-rushing help: “After trading for defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro one week before the NFL Draft, the pass rush appeared to be the biggest priority for the Jaguars. However, they didn’t address it until they took Wesley Williams and later Zach Durfee in Rounds 4 and 7, respectively. Both Williams and Durfee could turn out to be solid contributors.”

“Heck, the latter got the Project X moniker because he flew under the radar during the draft process. Having said that, it may be a while before either one hits his stride. This is where it might have come in handy for Jacksonville to bring in a veteran pass rusher to round out their rotation behind Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.”

The Jaguars’ defense ranked sixth in the NFL last season per DVOA.

Sanchez continued, “On the other hand, sophomores Danny Striggow and B.J. Green II flashed potential last year, but neither has shown enough to make you think that they could be the No. 3 pass rusher Jacksonville was missing in 2025. The good news is that it may not be too late for the Jaguars to add a proven veteran to round out their pass rush. Cameron Jordan and Jadeveon Clowney remain unsigned after the draft.”

“The former tallied 10.5 sacks with the New Orleans Saints last year, while the latter had eight for the Dallas Cowboys. Both of them remain productive, so either one could immediately step into the No. 3 role alongside Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen.’

New Arrivals in JAX

Finally, a glance at all of Jacksonville’s newcomers. These men arrived in free agency:

• Ameer Abdullah, RB (IND to JAX)
• Chris Rodriguez, RB (WAS to JAX)

And via the draft:

• Round 2: Nate Boerkircher (TE | Texas A&M)
• Round 3: Albert Regis (DT | Texas A&M)
• Round 3: Emmanuel Pregnon (G | Oregon)
• Round 3: Jalen Huskey (S | Maryland)
• Round 4: Wesley Williams (DE | Duke)
• Round 5: Tanner Koziol (TE | Houston)
• Round 6: Josh Cameron (WR | Baylor)
• Round 6: CJ Williams (WR | Stanford)
• Round 7: Zach Durfee (DE | Washington)
• Round 7: Parker Hughes (LB | Middle Tenn. St.)

Abdullah will turn 33 this summer.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker