One day after getting cut by the Vikings, RB Ameer Abdullah has found his next gig. Abdullah visited with the Panthers on Wednesday and has officially signed with Carolina, the team announced. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (via Twitter) first reported that a deal was expected.
Abdullah started his career in Detroit, where he put up a pair of 700-plus-yard seasons. He fell down the depth chart in 2018 and was eventually claimed off waivers by the Vikings. He ended up spending parts of four seasons in Minnesota, topping out on a 203-yard season in 2019.
The 28-year-old saw time in all six games for the Vikings this season, collecting 30 yards on seven carries while adding another 17 yards via three receptions. The veteran has also hauled in seven kick returns for 162 yards, which is especially relevant with primary returnman Alex Erickson in concussion protocol.
Now, he’ll have a chance to stick around the NFL with the Panthers. Carolina will continue rolling with rookie fourth-round pick Chuba Hubbard as their primary Christian McCaffrey replacement, and they’re also rostering Royce Freeman and Giovanni Ricci. The Panthers added Reggie Bonnafon to their practice squad yesterday.
I’m still kinda surprised Gore and Peterson haven’t been given a chance yet. I get their min salary is gonna be a bit higher, but both are options than some of these guys getting signed….on top of the experience you bring into your locker room.
Yeah, you’d think that one would get a workout at least, but I hadn’t seen anything there. I don’t know if Carolina is the best fit for them, though. The thing is with Carolina is that they seem to have guys who can do parts of what McCaffrey does (Ameer Abdullah, for instance, can catch very well, and Freeman can run between the tackles) but as consistently together. Of course, no one really can (that’s not already employed) which is why they’re having some trouble replacing that production.
I’m not sure about Peterson, but I know Gore has declined several offers, including the chance to finish his career with the 49ers, I believe, in order to stay with his family. He’s not officially retired, but it’s not clear he’ll be coming back.
The extra AARP insurance coverage must be scaring teams away from those guys.
How much AARP coverage does Brady have?