Myles Price finally ended a Vikings' decade-long special teams pain

The Minnesota Vikings have a rich history, but when it comes to their special teams, it’s been one thing they would like to forget.

Missed field goals are usually the source of pain for Vikings fans, but when Myles Price returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter of Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it ended a drought of more than 10 years in which Minnesota had failed to return a punt for a score.

Before Price’s highlight, the last Vikings punt return for a touchdown came in Week 5 of the 2016 season when Marcus Sherels took a Shane Lechler punt 79 yards to the house in a 31-13 win over the Houston Texans.

It’s part of a resume that made Sherels the greatest punt returner in franchise history, but it also shows how Price is delivering on special teams and giving Minnesota something they haven’t had since Sherels retired.

Myles Price is finally helping the Vikings replace Marcus Sherels

Sherels joined the Vikings in 2010 as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota, but made the team in large part due to his ability to return punts.

That ability helped him stick around for 10 seasons, averaging 10.3 yards per punt return, returning five for touchdowns, and setting a franchise record with 1,416 yards.

While it seemed like Sherels had a small role on the team, the Vikings haven’t been able to replace him since he retired in 2019.

Dating back to the 2020 season, Minnesota has averaged just 7.5 yards per punt return, and ESPN's Kevin Seifert noted that it had not returned a punt for a touchdown in their last 162 ga until Price raced into the end zone on Sunday afternoon.

Like Sherels, Price has used his punt return ability to make the roster. An undrafted wide receiver out of Indiana, Price returned 30 punts for an average of 9.9 yards per return and also had 57 kickoff returns for an average of 25.9.

While Price’s improvement as a receiver drew headlines in training camp, he’s also taken a leap as a returner.

Entering Sunday, Price averaged 12.0 yards on a pair of punt returns in the first two games and also saw a jump on kickoffs, with an average of 31.6 yards on seven punt returns. That performance continued against the Bucs after his score in the first quarter, as Price averaged 26.5 yards per punt return and 26.4 yards per kickoff return.

Myles Price is giving the Vikings something they haven’t had in a decade

With numbers like that, Price has carved out a niche that could help him have a long career in the NFL, but he’s also expanded his game to be more than that. After catching five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown, he’s valuable depth at the receiver position, drawing a target in the Vikings’ win over the Chicago Bears last week.

He also adds a game-breaking ability that can help the Vikings flip the field.

According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Vikings' average starting field position was 14th in the NFL last season, starting at their own 30.8 yard-line, and it’s also notable that Price’s score served as the difference in Sunday’s game, as the Vikings offense couldn’t find its footing in Murray’s first start.

Price is unlikely to be a key offensive weapon, but the same could be said for Sherels, whose special teams ability helped him avoid annual speculation that he’d be cut during training camp.

Depending on how severe Justin Jefferson’s ankle injury is, Price could also be in line for a bigger role in the offense, allowing Jefferson to take his time with his recovery if he needs to sit out for a week or two.

Whatever is to come, Sunday’s punt return showed how much Price is becoming a valuable player, and it could mean big things for his immediate future and the rest of his time in Minnesota.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow