The Minnesota Vikings signed running back Damon Bankston to their practice squad this week, bringing in a player who spent Weeks 1-7 with the Green Bay Packers over two stints. The move gives Minnesota a familiar name from the other sideline as it keeps turning over the edges of its roster.
Bankston arrives at a moment when the search around this move makes sense. Minnesota blitzes at a 67.6 percent rate, according to Pro-Football-Reference, and the Buccaneers sit next on the list at 37.2 percent. Against that kind of pressure, even a practice-squad addition can matter if he has seen the same structures from the other side.
That is the real reason Bankston draws attention here. He spent time in Green Bay while the Packers were trying to stay organized against the Vikings’ pressure looks, and he could have some information on how the Packers want to attack those pressures. In other words, this is not just about filling a spot. It is about whether Minnesota thinks one more body can help it get a read on how Green Bay handles stress before the teams meet again.
There is also a wrinkle that keeps the move from looking like a clean long-term stash. The timing suggests the Vikings may only want Bankston’s services for this particular week, which would make the signing more about preparation than about a lasting roster bet. That would fit a pattern the Packers have used too, including their Week 1 move for safety Kahlef Hailassie ahead of the Week 1 matchup against the Vikings, even though Hailassie has been with Minnesota since 2025 and is no longer with the Packers.
What happens next is simple enough: Bankston is on the Vikings’ practice squad now, but there is no sign yet that the team plans to keep him there for long. If Minnesota only brought him in for a short scouting purpose, his stay could be over as soon as the week’s preparation ends.
