Minnesota Vikings opt to bring back Marcus Sherels

The Minnesota Vikings needed a punt returner in the wake of Chad Beebe’s injury, so they brought back a familiar face to help fill the void.

The Minnesota Vikings found themselves in a pinch this week after the news spread that Chad Beebe would be out several weeks with a ligament injury in his ankle. While the receiver spot was filled with the surprise return of Laquon Treadwell, the Vikings still needed to figure out what to do with their punt returner spot that Beebe also occupied.

With Mike Hughes still rounding back into form from his knee injury last October, the Vikings opted to bring in a familiar face as they signed Marcus Sherels on Tuesday afternoon.

Sherels had been a mainstay for the Vikings for the past nine years after coming aboard as an undrafted free agent from the University of Minnesota. The 30-year-old has had a productive career as a special teamer for the Vikings but has made his most notable mark as a punt returner.

In nine years with the Vikings, Sherels has re-written the franchise record book on punt returns with five career touchdowns (first in franchise history) and an average of 10.6 yards per return (first in franchise history among those with a minimum of 74 returns). He also has been a tremendous gunner for the kick coverage teams, making him an asset that Mike Zimmer and his staff couldn’t let go after each training camp.

Sherels was also a Pro Bowl alternate last season for the Vikings but decided to sign a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints last spring. After an injury during training camp, Sherels was waived with an injury settlement and will look to add a jolt to the Vikings return and kick coverage units.

If anything, the Vikings have added a solid veteran to fill a void on the team and depending on the severity of Beebe’s injury, it appears that the Rochester, Minnesota native has come home for another stint with his hometown team.