Vikings waive RB Ronnie Hillman, promote DE Stephen Weatherly

The Vikings this afternoon waived running back Ronnie Hillman.

Hillman, who signed with the Vikings in September, played six snaps in yesterday’s win over the Cardinals and rushed for nine yards on two carries.

Hillman, who was third on the depth chart behind Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata, rushed for 50 yards on 18 carries in five games in Minnesota with a long run of 16 yards. He added four catches for 43 yards.

This move was foreshadowed by the waiver claim the Vikings put in on for running back Christine Michael when the Seahawks released him last week. The Packers were ahead of the Vikings in line and awarded Michael.

To fill Hillman’s roster spot, the Vikings promoted defensive end Stephen Weatherly, a 2016 seventh-round pick, from the practice squad.

The Vikings now have only two running backs on their active roster, but C.J. Ham is still on the practice squad if the Vikings need another runner. Adrian Peterson is also eligible to activated from injured reserve at any point, but his return from a torn meniscus does not appear to be imminent.

In other news, even though the Vikings did not practice today, they were required to submit a simulated injury report because they play Thursday.

They listed safety Harrison Smith (ankle), cornerbacks Terence Newman (neck) and Marcus Sherels (rib and ankle), and defensive tackles Tom Johnson (illness) and Sharrif Floyd (knee) as non-participants.