Jerome Ford DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

The Arizona Cardinals have signed running back Jerome Ford to their practice squad, the team announced Wednesday. Ford spent his first four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns before brief stops with Washington and Minnesota earlier this year. His most productive season came in 2023, when he started 12 games and rushed for 813 yards and four touchdowns on 204 carries while adding 44 receptions for 319 yards and five receiving scores. The 27-year-old saw his role diminish considerably in 2025, finishing with just 73 rushing yards on 24 carries and 26 receptions for 103 yards across 13 appearances. Arizona already has Jeremiyah Love and Tyler Allgeier handling backfield duties, with Bam Knight also on the active roster. James Conner remains on injured reserve as he works toward a return. Ford gives the Cardinals an experienced option with a history of contributing in the passing game, but there is no immediate path to meaningful touches. He would need a promotion and a change in the backfield situation to become relevant in most fantasy leagues.

Skor North's Darren Wolfson thinks that Minnesota Vikings running back Jerome Ford could be more involved than people think in the Week 3 contest this Sunday against the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Aaron Jones Sr. had 23 carries for over 100 rushing yards in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Chicago Bears with Jordan Mason (thumb) on Injured Reserve, but the veteran back came out of it with an injured knee and could be battling through more knee issues this weekend. The Vikings do not appear prepared to give too much work to rookie Demond Claiborne, so Ford could see more action than both Claiborne and DeeJay Dallas behind Jones. The 27-year-old Ford was not active for either of the first two games of the season for the Vikings, so he is merely a speculative waiver-wire addition right now in deep fantasy football leagues. In his four NFL seasons with the Cleveland Browns, the former fifth-rounder has averaged 4.3 yards per carry with 1,463 rushing yards and seven touchdowns in 57 games (18 starts).

After a quiet final season in Cleveland that saw him run for only 73 yards in 13 games before ending the year on injured reserve, running back Jerome Ford signed a one-year, $1.4 million deal with the Washington Commanders and could now find himself fighting for a roster spot. While the Commanders' running back room is not bursting with talent, it has become a deep group with a wide variety of skill sets. Jacory Croskey-Merritt led the team with 873 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns as a rookie in 2025, and the team added pass-catching specialist Rachaad White in free agency before spending a 6th-round pick on Penn State's all-time leading rusher, Kaytron Allen. Ford has shown efficiency as a runner and is an underrated receiver; although he does not excel in any one area, his versatility could be key to earning a role on gamedays. Unfortunately, projecting no higher than the third or fourth running back on a team that will also see a fair share of rushing yards claimed by quarterback Jayden Daniels, the soon-to-be 27-year-old Ford has become a depreciating dynasty asset and a potential drop candidate.