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Running back Ronnie Hillman signed by the Minnesota Vikings

By Adam Carlson

Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Chargers 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman (23) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the San Diego Chargers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Chargers 27-20. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
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Following the injury to Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings announce that they have signed running back Ronnie Hillman to the team’s roster.

Losing Adrian Peterson for a significant amount of time is a hard thing for many fans of the Minnesota Vikings to swallow. For a long time, he has been the focus of the team’s offense and the face of the organization.

Now that Peterson has been placed on the shelf for the time being, the team has been forced to make a decision on filling his spot on the roster. But it didn’t take very long for the team to make that call.

In fact, the team announced the signing of a veteran running back the same day that Peterson’s long-term absence was announced. Here is the tweet from the official Minnesota Vikings Twitter account announcing the transaction:

The Minnesota Vikings also took to their official website to give a quick profile of the former Denver Broncos running back:

"“Hillman, a third-round draft pick by Denver in 2012, has played in 48 games and made 15 starts. He totaled 452 rushes for 1,842 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Broncos. Hillman’s top season was 2015 when he rushed 207 times for 863 yards and seven scores. He was released by Denver earlier this month.”"

There were many options out there for the Minnesota Vikings, but bringing in a veteran like Hillman will provide great insurance for Jerick McKinnon and Matt Asiata while Adrian Peterson is out.

Another option for the team would have been elevating practice squad running back C.J. Ham to the main roster. The Vikings must have felt more comfortable going with a more established player in this situation, going with a 5 year veteran over the undrafted free agent.

Sadly, Vikings fans likely know Hillman best from his 72 yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings during week 4 of the 2015 NFL season.

Next: Full game-by-game 2016 Vikings season preview

Nothing but the best is wished for Ronnie Hillman during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. It is unclear as to what role he will have in the team’s offense this season or how the carries will be split among the running backs, but having him available could be important for the Vikings this year.

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