Damon Bankston’s brief and largely uneventful time with the Green Bay Packers ended weeks ago, but the undrafted rookie running back surfaced Wednesday in a familiar place—within the division.
The Minnesota Vikings signed the 23-year-old to their practice squad on November 11, just days before facing the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, the Vikings announced.
Bankston, a pre-draft visitor to Green Bay in the spring, first joined the Packers’ practice squad on September 9 after the New York Giants waived him at final cuts.
He wore No. 35, spent roughly three weeks with the club, was released on September 29, returned on October 6, and was cut again on October 20 to create a spot for defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
He never saw a regular-season snap in green and gold.
With Josh Jacobs back from the Commissioner’s Exempt List and other backs already on the 53-man roster, the Packers simply did not need practice-squad depth at the position.
Bankston’s stint was the classic undrafted developmental hold: useful for camp and early-season look-sees, expendable once the active roster stabilized.
Now he lands with the Vikings, who added him alongside linebacker Josh Ross in a short-week move before the Week 10 showdown at Lambeau.
Minnesota’s backfield already features Aaron Jones Sr., Jordan Mason, and DeeJay Dallas, with rookie Demond Claiborne on injured reserve. Bankston offers a receiving-oriented change-of-pace option and potential special-teams return ability, traits he showed in college.
At New Mexico in 2025, after productive years at Weber State, he rushed for 635 yards on 114 carries (5.6 average) with five touchdowns and added 31 receptions for 397 yards and three scores.
He also returned kicks at a high level earlier in his career. Those tools made him an interesting late-round or undrafted prospect, but not one the Packers ultimately kept on the practice squad.
From a Green Bay perspective, the signing is more symbolic than threatening. Practice-squad players rarely impact a game on four days’ notice, especially against a team that just released them.
Still, it is a reminder of the NFC North’s constant roster churn. Players the Packers evaluate and move on from can quickly surface with a rival, even if the impact this week is minimal.
Bankston’s NFL career so far has been short stints on practice squads with the Giants, Packers, and now Vikings. For Green Bay, the chapter closed on October 20 when defensive needs took priority.
For Minnesota, it is a low-cost depth add heading into a division game. Sunday at Lambeau will likely proceed without him on the field, but the move keeps the revolving door spinning between the two clubs.
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