2 Vikings Can Return from IR for Week 5
This weekend, the Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
This matchup will be yet another big test for this Vikings team early in the season as they attempt to dig out of the 1-3 hole that they found themselves in through four weeks.
Luckily, they may get some added help for that game as a pair of Vikings can return from IR this weekend. Both Kene Nwangwu and Chris Reed began the year on injured reserve, thus forcing them to miss the first four games of the season. Now, though, they are eligible to return for this key matchup against Kansas City.
RB Kene Nwangwu
Nwangwu went on IR back in August because of a back injury that ailed him throughout training camp. While Nwangwu hasn’t been utilized much within the offense during the first few years of his career, the assumption would be that he will return to his normal role of kick returner if and when he re-joins the team.
Over his first two NFL seasons, Nwangwu was one of the most electrifying return men in the NFL. He has returned 53 kicks for 1499 yards, averaging 28.3 yards per return. He has taken three kicks all the way back to the end zone and led the NFL with two kick return TDs during his rookie season of 2021.
Currently, the Vikings have been utilizing Ty Chandler in that kick return role, and he has returned three kicks this season for a grand total of 70 yards — an average of just 23.3 yards per return. The field position game could be key for the Vikings to steal a win against Kansas City, so it would be nice to have Nwangwu back for this one.
IOL Chris Reed
Chris Reed has been on the shelf for quite a long time. He was placed on the NFI list back on July, and he didn’t appear at all during the training camp period. As a result, he began the season on IR.
The offensive lineman was signed by the Vikings prior to the 2022 season after spending his first six NFL seasons with the Jaguars, Panthers, Dolphins, and Colts. He played seven games throughout the year for the Vikings and proved to be an important member of the team down the stretch.
Both Garrett Bradbury and Austin Schlottmann missed time down the stretch of the year, and Reed stepped in as the center to finish out the Week 17 game against Green Bay as well as the Week 18 game against Chicago.
Reed would re-up with the Vikings this spring, agreeing to a pay cut to stick around. He is a guard by trade, but in a pinch, he can play any position along the interior of the offensive line as he proved last year.
Currently, the Vikings have one of the better offensive line groups in the NFL according to many metrics, so it is unlikely he would see the field even if he were to return this week. Regardless, it is always a good thing to have some extra depth in that position group.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.