Kene Nwangwu Plot Twist Underscores 1 Reason for Release
The Minnesota Vikings had ‒ like all other organizations ‒ a busy week, parting ways with over a third of the roster to get under the league’s limit of 53 players just to re-sign half of those to the practice squad. Perhaps the most surprising exit was that of kick returner Kene Nwangwu, but the Vikings had their reasons.
Kene Nwangwu Plot Twist Underscores 1 Reason for Release
In 2021, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman selected running back Kene Nwangwu out of Iowa State. He possesses 4.3 speed, immediately making him one of the most dangerous kick returners in the league.
But the Vikings ended his tenure after three seasons with the club. He has returned three kicks for touchdowns, the last one on Thanksgiving in 2022. He was waived, and the Saints picked him up, claiming his rights.
The plot twist came a day later when Saints head coach Dennis Allen announced that Nwangwu wouldn’t join the team after failing his physical — another gut punch for the 2022 second-team All-Pro kick returner.
The nature of the issue that kept him from meeting the team’s criteria is unknown, but it emphasizes one of Nwangwu’s red flags: his injury history.
A freak athlete when on the field, Nwangwu missed significant time in two of his three NFL seasons despite barely touching the ball on offense. He was placed on IR before his NFL career began. He suffered a hyperextended knee on the first kick return in the 2021 preseason.
The running back ultimately played in 11 games in the 2021 campaign. After appearing in all 17 regular season games and the postseason contest in 2022, he only competed in nine matchups in 2023.
Having durability issues as a depth running back is a no-go, considering that he would be asked to take every carry in case of an injury to Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler. At a position hit as often as running back, crazier things have happened.
Instead, the Vikings have signed veteran runner Myles Gaskin to the practice squad. He has been appointed as the team’s top kick returner, according to general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Gaskin is experienced as a running back.
He has rushed 361 times in his NFL career, all with the Dolphins. Gaskin picked up an ankle sprain in 2019 and an MCL sprain in 2020 but played every game in 2021 as Miami’s top running back.
He also had more than 1,000 touches in his four-year college career at the University of Washington.
Adofo-Mensah addressed the decision on Wednesday.
[Nwangwu’s release] was more about Myles (Gaskin). Kene (Nwangwu) has been a good player for this organization since he was drafted. Great person. I just want to make it more about Myles. Myles just has a really diverse skill set to help us on special teams and offense. Kene is a really talented kick returner in this league at a high level for a long period of time, we just thought that for roster value, Myles was just a better decision.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
It’s pretty obvious that the executive wanted to stress that Gaskin can help the team on offense better than Nwangwu, and their track record proves it.
Even in the preseason, when Nwangwu undoubtedly played his best football (on offense) since entering the league, he was still late reading his running lanes. While not quite matching Nwangwu’s track speed, Gaskin is a more reliable option as a true depth running back and from a durability standpoint.
It could backfire if a team fully unlocks the special teams ace on offense, but at this point, that seems unlikely.
Gaskin will likely be called up to the gameday roster in Week 1, taking over the kick return duties and the RB3 job. At some point, the team doesn’t have any elevations remaining (the limit for a player is three), and he will be signed to the 53-man roster.
Nwangwu surely hopes to find a team soon, but the failed physical could be a problem. He is an unrestricted free agent.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
The Hall of Fame Series: Alan Page
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt