The Minnesota Vikings added another batch of practice squad help on Wednesday, filling out a group that includes a familiar insurance piece at punter and three more newcomers at different spots.
Johnny Hekker is back with the Vikings’ practice squad, giving the team a fallback option if Brett Thorson runs into any more injury trouble. Running back Devin Neal, whose addition was reported yesterday, was also officially announced by the team.
The other three signings are running back Audric Estime, outside linebacker Keshawn Banks, and offensive lineman Josh Priebe.
Estime is the headliner of the group. The Broncos picked him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Notre Dame, and he spent his rookie season in Denver before being waived after training camp in 2025.
From there, he had a brief stop on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad, then landed with the New Orleans Saints and remained there for the rest of the season. He opened this season with New Orleans as well, but the Saints waived him with an injury settlement a week ago.
In his career, Estime has 122 carries for 508 yards and three touchdowns, plus 17 catches for 130 yards.
Banks brings a long and winding path to Minnesota. He signed with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent out of San Diego State in 2023 and spent that season on their practice squad before being elevated for their wild card playoff game.
In 2024, he had a short stay with the Michigan Panthers of the UFL, then was let go so he could sign with the New England Patriots. He played in three games for New England, was released, joined the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad for the rest of the season, and returned to the Panthers in 2025.
In 2026, he was selected by the Orlando Storm in the 2026 UFL Draft, went through training camp with the Atlanta Falcons, and now ends up in Minnesota.
Priebe spent all of 2025 on the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. He was elevated to the main roster once, though he did not appear in the game, and the Dolphins waived him on the last day of August.
With those moves, the Vikings’ practice squad has taken shape on the team’s main website roster page. If Minnesota adds more, those moves will follow as soon as they become available.
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The issues only look bigger in the wake of Justin Jeffersons absence, since Minnesota has struggled to generate anything consistent without its top target. The most recent game brought the Vikings lowest offensive success rate in 20 seasons, and the club now sits last in the league in total yards per game, leaving OConnell with a much tougher problem than the win-loss column suggests. [Read more 🡒]
