One of the toughest parts of the NFL year is on the horizon: roster cuts for the final 53-man squad. These are not easy decisions, especially for a team like the Minnesota Vikings, which has talent from the starters all the way down to the undrafted free agents.
To make these decisions, you have to evaluate everything. Practice, personality, and preseason performance all play a factor in whether a player gets to lace up their cleats at game time.
Myles Price has made an impact in every one of these areas. At a time when the Vikings aren’t sure who will return kicks after Rondale Moore’s season-ending injury, Price looked like a worthy option. Against the New England Patriots, he ran a kickoff back 81 yards and had two punt returns for 33 yards.
Price occasionally flashed in Minnesota’s third preseason game against the Tennessee Titans as well, taking a punt back 28 yards before it was called back for holding. Outside of one near-muff in the third quarter, Price has shown his value on special teams with his electric returns in a short amount of time. He was the second-highest PFF-graded returner in the league during the preseason (79.9).
Price has also had his moments with the offense. He caught a 15-yard pass from Max Brosmer to extend the team’s drive against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter, then was rewarded with a touchdown on that same drive. With Moore’s injury, plus Jordan Addison’s suspension to start the season, why can’t Price be the receiver who gets his chance?
“[Price] loves football, very positive, he’s someone people wanna be around,” special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said. “He’s always the first one out here, ready to catch pre-practice JUGS, punts, always out here post-practice getting extra work. He understands and gets it as a young guy, what it takes to be a professional in this league.”
.@Myles_price3 turning it up a notch!
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— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 16, 2025
Granted, we didn’t get to see guys like Silas Bolden and Tai Felton get their opportunities. Bolden, in particular, has a skillset that lends itself well to returning. He’s quick, shifty, and decisive, leading the SEC in punt returns and yards his senior year. He even had a punt-return touchdown in the College Football Playoff last year that helped Texas make the semifinals. We won’t see him in a Vikings uniform anytime soon, though, after they released him on Sunday.
Still, the fact that Price is getting the reps – and making the most of them – cannot be ignored. In college, Price averaged around 40 yards per game as a receiver, not enough for any team to draft him. Yet the Vikings took a chance on the rookie partly because of his returning abilities. He fielded 23 punts in his one year at Indiana for 289 yards, the sixth-most in FBS. The year before at Texas Tech, he had nine returns for 196 yards. The potential is there; the Vikings just need to unlock it.
“That’s my favorite position in the world. It’s backyard football,” Price said about being a returner. “It’s an opportunity to get the ball in your hands… as long as it gets in my hands, I feel like I got an opportunity every time.”
It’s reasonable to be nervous about Price, given his inexperience and shakiness catching kicks. Besides the near muff on Friday, Price dropped a punt in practice last week. Fans definitely don’t want to see that become the norm.
However, what he lacks in reliability, he makes up for with explosiveness. He’s already shown what he can do with the ball in his hands, and with special teams being the most questionable area on the roster right now, a player like Price could be the game-changer the Vikings need. They haven’t had a punt-return touchdown in nearly 10 years, and their average yards per return is near the bottom of the league, so Price would be an upgrade no matter what. It makes even more sense considering their lack of depth at receiver.
Rolling the dice on 4th down…
Max Brosmer finds Myles Price for six. And J.J. McCarthy loved it.
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Price is on the smaller side, coming in at 5’8”, 180 lbs. That lack of size might be detrimental as a pass catcher, and it’s something we already saw affect him in the preseason. He had the chance to haul in a potential game-tying touchdown against New England, but he couldn’t corral the throw from Brosmer, and the Vikings lost by eight.
Still, Minnesota’s other options haven’t demanded a roster spot with their play. Jalen Nailor will likely step up to replace Addison, just like he did for two games last year when Addison dealt with an injury. But Nailor is dealing with a hand injury of his own and may not be 100% by Week 1. Lucky Jackson was another training camp darling but has been unreliable in the offense. Felton could be a good option, but he is as raw as Price.
Thus, the door is open for Price and his 4.39 40 speed to make the team. It’s not unheard of to see a UDFA rise the ranks and prove his worth, and that’s exactly what we’re seeing with Price. Taking a gamble on him will pay off tremendously for the Vikings.