The Associated Press
EAGAN, Minn.–The Minnesota Vikings had moved on, comfortable going in a new direction at punt returner and distancing themselves from one of the biggest first-round draft misses in team history.
All it took was one injury for both Marcus Sherels and Laquon Treadwell to come back.
When Chad Beebe was put on injured reserve on Tuesday with an ankle injury suffered in the fourth quarter of their game against Oakland on Sunday, the Vikings suddenly had a need for both a punt returner and a wide receiver. So Sherels and Treadwell got the calls.
“Well, Marcus is a great kid, No. 1,” coach Mike Zimmer said yesterday.
“They both are. And we needed a punt returner, so that was pretty simple. Tread’s been working hard. I talked to him last week. I think he’s rededicated himself to the things that he needs to try to get done. Knows the system, and we anticipate him doing well.”
Treadwell was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2016 draft out of Mississippi.
He had 56 catches for 517 yards and one touchdown in three seasons with the Vikings, before being cut on Aug. 31 when they set their roster for the opening week.
Sherels, who went undrafted out of Minnesota in 2010 and turned a rookie camp tryout into a nine-season run with the Vikings, holds the franchise record for punt return touchdowns (five) and average (10.6 yards).
He was valued for his sure-handedness on punts and missed just nine total games over the previous eight seasons, while also filling in occasionally at cornerback.
“This is home for me,” said Sherels, a native of Rochester, Mn.
