Vikings sign T.J. Smith, put Harrison Hand on COVID-19 list

Smith signed with the Chargers in 2019 and was on their practice squad last season.

October 5, 2021 at 10:05PM
Vikings cornerback Harrison Hand warmed up before Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium. (Elizabeth Flores, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

The Vikings signed defensive tackle T.J. Smith, who was on the Chargers practice squad last season, on Tuesday.

Smith — a four-year college standout at Arkansas, where he was a teammate of Vikings defensive lineman Armon Watts — had been released by the Chargers in August. The 6-3, 300-pound Smith went undrafted in 2020.

The Vikings also put cornerback Harrison Hand back on the COVID-19 list, a day after another cornerback, Cam Dantzler, was also sidelined because of COVID-19.

Hand was on the field for 15 snaps in Sunday's 14-7 loss to Cleveland. He was also on the COVID-19 list in late September.

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