Who Should I Start? Xazavian Valladay or Jawhar Jordan

Saturday, August 23, 8:40 AM

In his first game action with the Minnesota Vikings, Xazavian Valladay led the team in rushing with 39 yards on eight carries and added one catch for two yards on Friday at Tennessee. It was a solid day for the new acquisition, who has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2023. The Vikings have an opening for a third running back behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, but Valladay will have an uphill climb to make Minnesota's final 53.

Tuesday, September 3, 7:46 PM

The Houston Texans reached injury settlements with rookie running back Jawhar Jordan (oblique) and defensive tackle Pheldarius Payne (hamstring) on Tuesday, waiving them from Injured Reserve. Jordan was taken in the sixth round this past April out of Louisville by the Texans, but he won't make his NFL debut in Houston. The 25-year-old will need to prove his healthy before potentially joining another organization, most likely on the practice squad. Jordan lacks size and physicality, but he could eventually develop into a third-down back somewhere if he can stay healthy because of his vision on the field and his blocking skills in pass protection. Payne, 24, is expected to join the team's practice squad after reaching an injury settlement. He suffered his hamstring injury in the team's preseason finale.