5 options to be the Minnesota Vikings’ 2019 punt returner
By Chris Schad
Mike Hughes – CB
The leader in the clubhouse to replace Marcus Sherels as the Vikings’ punt returner is 2018 first-round pick Mike Hughes. While many were impressed by the former UCF corner’s skills in coverage, Hughes also has a strong resume when it comes to returning kicks from his time with the Golden Knights.
In 2017, Hughes was electric when tasked with the role at UCF, taking back three returns (two kickoffs, one punt) for touchdowns while averaging 16.6 yards per punt return. His skills with the ball in his hands were also on display thanks to a pick-six.
With Minnesota having plenty of depth at the cornerback position in 2019, this could be a sneaky way to get him on the field more often.
Naming Hughes the team’s punt returner for next season sounds good in theory, but there are a couple of hangups that could prevent the Vikings from giving this the green light.
The biggest obstacle is Hughes’ current recovery from a torn ACL he suffered last fall. While the 22-year old has been deemed ahead of schedule in his rehab, it’s also presumed that Hughes won’t see the practice field until training camp at the earliest.
Even if Hughes is healthy enough to practice during training camp, he might not be back at 100 percent right away. That would likely give Minnesota’s coaching staff second thoughts about throwing him out on the field in a chaotic punt return situation.
If Hughes is ready to go at the beginning of training camp, he’ll have a shot to show the coaching staff that he can handle returning punts. If he’s not, it’s likely that the Vikings may look elsewhere to fill the role.