Vikings Should Kick the Tires on Newly Released RB

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime (23) celebrates in the fourth quarter after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. The rookie back displayed emotion and energy as Denver capped off a strong offensive drive in front of a roaring home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images.

The Minnesota Vikings will face the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, and five days before that showdown, Nick Sirianni’s team said goodbye to a running back from its practice squad: Audric Estime.

The Philadelphia Eagles dropped a young running back on Tuesday, and despite limited roster space, the Vikings should explore his free agency.

While it might be a longshot for the Vikings to be the team that ends up with Estime, it should at least poke around his free agency.

Vikings Should Peek at Audric Estime

Grab him up and stash him.

Aug 23, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Broncos running back Audric Estime (23) carries the ball against New Orleans Saints cornerback Jayden Price (38) during second-half action at Caesars Superdome. The rookie back fought through contact for extra yards as Denver evaluated its depth and offensive rhythm in preseason play ahead of the regular season. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images.

Eagles Boot RB Audric Estime off Practice Squad

He probably would not have played anyway this weekend, but the Eagles said sayonara to Estime.

CBS Sports reported: “The Eagles cut Estime from the practice squad Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. Estime spent training camp and the preseason with the Broncos but was squeezed out of a roster spot following Denver’s offseason additions of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. He spent the first six weeks of the season on Philly’s practice squad but will look for a new opportunity elsewhere.”

Unless the Eagles used the release as a procedural move — unlikely — Estime won’t turn around and re-sign in Philadelphia, as often happens in the NFL. He can be scooped by any NFL team as early as now.

Vikings Don’t Have RB Space, But …

Listen, we fully understand that Minnesota’s RB room isn’t begging for a new face. This is the group as of October 14th:

Jordan Mason

Aaron Jones (IR)

Ty Chandler (IR)

Zavier Scott

Cam Akers

Corey Kiner

Full? Yes. But for a world beyond 2025, the first two guys are the only serious contenders guaranteed a spot on the 2026 depth chart. And even Jones’ outlook is shaky beyond 2025 due to age.

Minnesota should sign Estime to the practice squad as an ace in the hole for youth and explore his services as a potential RB3. For example, Scott — who feels like a young up-and-comer — is 26. Estime is 22.

Estime’s Profile

The Notre Dame product isn’t exactly a burner, but at 5’11” and 230 pounds, Estime brings the kind of downhill punch that could finally help Minnesota finish drives in the red zone — a long-running issue before 2025 and Jordan Mason’s emergence.

In his final season with the Irish, Estime churned out 1,341 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per carry. He also chipped in 17 receptions for 142 yards. The passing game isn’t his calling card, but he’s a natural, decisive runner with power and vision.

Oct 14, 2023; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) leaps over USC Trojans safety Zion Branch (8) and linebacker Tackett Curtis (25) in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium. The powerful back showcased his athleticism and determination late in the rivalry win, punctuating another strong outing for Notre Dame’s offense. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports.

Estime’s time in Denver never really took off. He landed on injured reserve after Week 1, then resurfaced later in the year only to get lost in Sean Payton’s carousel-style backfield — a rotation seemingly built around whoever touched the ball last.

The Chargers Inevitable?

On the same day that Philadelphia kicked Estime to the curb, NFL insider Josina Anderson tweeted, “The Chargers are still making preliminary inquiries at the running back and tackle position, as the Nov.4 trade deadline approaches, a league source told me.”

Depending on the Chargers’ opinion of Estime, Jim Harbaugh and Co. could scoop Estime from the free-agent wire and call it good. Los Angeles would not have to donate draft picks via trade to a team for a replacement tailback.

Out of the gate in 2025, the Chargers have been rocked by serious injuries to rookie Omarion Hampton and veteran Najee Harrison. They could be just desperate enough to sign Estime, making articles like this wholly moot.

It’s worth noting that the Vikings play those very Chargers in nine days.

Eagles-Themed Media on Estime’s Departure

The message from Eagles insiders? No big deal.

SI.com‘s Zach Pressnell wrote Tuesday, “Estime was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of 2024 NFL Draft but spent one year with the team. During that one year in Denver, the young running back appeared in 13 games and carried the ball 76 times for 360 yards and two touchdowns.”

“After signing with the Eagles’ practice squad, there was no real path to playing time in Philadelphia. The Eagles have Saquon Barkley, who’s the top running back in football. Barkley has remained healthy for a good chunk of his career, so barring an unfortunate injury, he wouldn’t be giving up much of the workload. AJ Dillon works as the team’s back up and short yardage back.”

Nov 17, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands off to running back Audric Estime (23) during first-quarter play against the Atlanta Falcons at Empower Field at Mile High. The rookie runner took the early carry as Denver worked to establish tempo and balance in its offensive approach. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images.

Estime won’t turn 23 until next September, believe it or not.

“Dillon is one of the better bruising running backs in football. He’s hard to stop between the tackles, so his role on the team wasn’t in question either. Will Shipley works as the third string running back and the starting kick returner. With Shipley returning kicks, his job on the team was safe, too. Tank Bigsby is behind Shipley, both on the running back depth chart and the kick returner depth chart,” Pressnell continued.

“Estime didn’t bring anything to the Eagles but depth. At a certain point, this partnership was going to come to an end, but the young running back shouldn’t struggle to find a new home.”

Estime logged 310 rushing yards on 76 carries, with 2 touchdowns in Denver last year. That’s 4.1 yards per carry. Decent.