The rookie receiver had an 81-yard kick return in Saturday’s preseason game against the Patriots.
MINNEAPOLIS — Desperate for a spark, Minnesota Vikings kick returner Myles Price bounced off a tackler and sprinted up the right side.
The rookie receiver burst down the sideline before eventually being taken down at New England’s 8-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Smiling ear-to-ear, the undrafted rookie gathered with his teammates to celebrate the much-needed jolt.
Despite the yardage, Price wanted more out.
“Gotta take that one to the crib,” he laughed.
While the drive stalled and the Vikings settled for a field goal, the big return was one of the few bright spots for the Vikings in Saturday’s 20-12 loss. It also may go a long way in determining his role as a potential returner when the regular season kicks off Sept. 8 in Chicago.
“He’s a guy with a ton of energy,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said of Price. “Never has a bad day. Always has a smile on his face, but he’s tough. He’s got a lot of traits physically that tend to, with our rules and kind of how things tighten up a little bit in the NFL, it bodes well for him having the skillset to do that.”
Price also fielded two punts on Saturday, averaging 16.5 yards per return, including a long of 20. During his college years, which included four years at Texas Tech and one at Indiana, Price was primarily a punt returner, finishing with a career return average of 13.9 yards. In fact, he hasn’t returned a kickoff in a regular-season game since his freshman year at Texas Tech, when he fielded three kickoffs for a total of 59 yards.
“He puts in so much work and I’m so proud of that kid,” said Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer, who tossed a TD pass to Price in the first preseason game. “It builds the receiver room. They do a great job from the top down, and Myles resonates with the rest of the guys and does a really good job with it.”
With receiver Rondale Moore out for the season with a knee injury, the competition for Minnesota’s returners involves running back Zavier Scott and rookie receivers Price, Tai Felton and Silas Bolden. After Saturday, like he did during his 81-yard return, Price may have distanced himself from much of the pack. This time, however, he may not get caught.
“I believe I did my job every opportunity I got,” Price said. “I definitely left some money on the table, but that’s alright. Learning experience. And probably won’t ever happen again.”
As a receiver, Price is still honing his pass-catching skills. In college, he finished with 199 catches for 2,217 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also caught a touchdown pass from Brosmer in the preseason opener against Houston, but then dropped a likely score late in the fourth quarter Saturday against New England. Brosmer said he’s building chemistry with the young receiver, which included a fishing trip to northern Minnesota.
“Those are the little things that really build into connecting on the field,” said the former University of Minnesota quarterback.
Brosmer is battling for a roster spot of his own as a backup to J.J. McCarthy, who will likely be formally named the starter soon. After a strong preseason opener against Houston — going 5-for-8 for 47 yards and a touchdown — he missed a few opportunities in Saturday’s game against the Patriots. He finished 15 of 27 for 156 yards, no touchdowns and an interception at the end of regulation.
Through two games, Brosmer has been the most consistent of the three quarterbacks vying for the backup spot, but his lack of NFL experience could weigh against him when the 53-man roster is announced.
“There’s a lot more to get better at,” said Brosmer after Saturday’s game. “And that’s the entire team. That’s the process of football. That’s why people play football. You love it but you love the process of getting better and learning how to win more football games.”