Like Ryan Kelly, Jeff Okudah suffered a second concussion this season. Unlike the veteran center though, Okudah never went on injured reserve. After missing last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota’s roster move on Tuesday could be telling for his status this weekend.

Shemar Bartholomew released from Vikings practice squad

It wasn’t long ago that Minnesota signed Shemar Bartholomew to their practice squad. After going undrafted out of Georgia Southern, he saw action in five games for the Carolina Panthers last season. However, for the Vikings, he never took the field.

The #Vikings have released CB Shemar Bartholomew from the practice squad.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 25, 2025

Initially veteran cornerback Fabian Moreau started the year on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad. Due to injuries, he has since been signed to the active roster.

After Bartholomew’s release, the Vikings practice squad still includes cornerbacks Tyrek Funderburk, Zemaiah Vaughn, and Dwight McGlothern. McGlothern was recently waived and then re-signed after Ryan Kelly was activated from injured reserve.

It seems plausible that moving on from Bartholomew indicates a level of readiness for Okudah. The former third overall pick has a litany of injury issues over the course of his career. After being hyped up during training camp, he has played in just six games for Minnesota. Okudah has recorded 14 tackles, a single fumble recovery, and has no passes defended or interceptions.

Activating Okudah would give the MN Vikings four cornerbacks on the active roster, joining Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Moreau.

The Vikings defense will look to slow former starting quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon. Seattle is 8-3 while Minnesota is just 4-7.

Since Okudah’s injury, defensive coordinator Brian Flores has again turned to Fabian Moreau, as CB3. On Saturday, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah signed the 31-year-old one-time UCLA standout DB to Minnesota’s active roster, in place of Okudah.

Moreau, has repeatedly exceeded expectations since signing first landing in the Twin Cities last season, pretty much saving the Vikings’ defensive back issues mid-season two years in a row. But with Fabian elevated on a full-time basis, that left a roster spot open on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad.

Minnesota Vikings sign CB Shemar Bartholomew

So when Asante Samuel Jr. — who took a free agent visit to TCO Performance Center over the weekend — signed with the Steelers practice squad on Tuesday, Kwesi moved on another DB to fill the void, UDFA Shemar Bartholomew, out of Georgia Southern.

The #Vikings have signed CB Shemar Bartholomew to the practice squad.

📰: https://t.co/jVhWvnDo63 pic.twitter.com/YRDiOWYAxh

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 11, 2025

When the season started it was Fabian Moreau that Minnesota held onto by using a practice squad spot. After he joined the active roster, the practice squad options were down to just Zemaiah Vaughn and Tyrek Funderburk. That changed on Tuesday.

Undrafted out of Georgia Southern, Shemar Bartholomew signed with the Carolina Panthers after being released by the New York Jets. The 25-year-old appeared in five games and recorded three tackles as a Panther.

He got most of his playing time in Carolina on special teams — 17 defensive snaps, 34 special teams snaps. Bartholomew will join fellow cornerbacks Zemaiah Vaughn and Tyrek Funderburk on the MN Vikings practice squad.

Falcons Drake London with the ultimate disrespect on the Panthers Shemar Bartholomew. #touchdown #CARvsATL #Falcons pic.twitter.com/wl9fd3wGkL

— Alton Crawf (@AltonCrawf) January 5, 2025

It’s clear that the MN Vikings were hoping to fill their open practice squad spot with Asante Samuel Jr., which is likely why they left it open for a few days while he made up his mind. Instead, news broke Tuesday that Samuel is signing in Pittsburgh, leaving Kwesi to find CB help elsewhere.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah created his own CB depth issues

Of course, the Minnesota Vikings general manager created his one depth issues in the secondary last offseason, when he built a paper-thin cornerback room with prior injury issues, among other things, then refused to add to it during training camp.

CB1 Byron Murphy Jr was tasked with more responsibility this season, even before injuries started hitting his teammates, following a hefty pay increase this offseason. Newly signed Isaiah Rodgers has been splashy, but inconsistent. That’s to be expected from a first-year full-time starter.

Brian Flores told the Vikings to target Isaiah Rodgers. Brian Flores is never wrong about these things pic.twitter.com/gg5XbxppkJ

— Thomas Sullivan (@Yfz84) September 22, 2025

Most importantly, Rodgers and Murphy Jr. have been available. And when it comes to the 2025 Vikings secondary, that part is CRUCIAL. If this team is going to have any chance at making a late-season playoff run, both guys will have to remain on the field and playing the best football of their careers.

The Minnesota host the Chicago Bears on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. They are three point favorites after beating them in Week 1. They’ll then turn their focus to Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers. At 4-5, Kevin O’Connell’s team can’t afford to keep failing to capitalize on opportunities.