NFL Coaches Think Rather Highly of Unsung Vikings Playmaker
Sporting News revealed its NFL awards for 2022 this week, and unsurprisingly, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson won Offensive Player of the Year honors.
But Jefferson wasn’t the only Viking to grab attention from Sporting News, as the sports media entity detailed voting on behalf of NFC coaches for year-end awards.
NFL Coaches Think Rather Highly of Unsung Vikings Playmaker
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”1232837″ player=”26279″ title=”Joe%20Judge%20not%20wellliked%20by%20New%20England%20Patriots%20players%20coaches” duration=”83″ description=”After being fired as the New York Giants head coach, Joe Judge returned to the New England Patriots in 2022 for an opportunity to rebuild his image and learn from Bill Belichick. However, the season unfolded far worse than expected and might have caused further damage to Judge’s reputation around the league.” uploaddate=”2023-01-30″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/snapshot/1232815_sd_1675116672.jpg” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/1232815/1232815.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Coaches leaguewide elected Vikings running back Kene Nwangwu as the NFL’s top kick returner with 57.1% of the vote. And the explanation from Sporting News was simple, “Nwangwu remains on the team like he was during his rookie season.”
Nwangwu, who turns 25 in one week, earned PFWA All-Rookie Team accolades last year in his first year and 2nd-Team All-Pro recognition in 2022. He’s quickly morphed into one of the NFL’s most dangerous return men, accruing three kick return touchdowns in 28 career games. Nwangwu took one to this house in November on Thanksgiving against the New England Patriots from 97 yards away. And that transaction arguably won the Vikings the game as Vikings-Patriots on Turkey Day was nip-tuck for three hours.
The Iowa State alumnus ranked second in the NFL per total kickoff return yards with 920 this year, trailing only Green Bay Packers return man Keisean Nixon (1,009). Of all returners in 2022 with at least 15 attempts, Nwangwu’s 26.3 yards-per-return average was ninth-best in the business.
Nwangwu also recorded 9 rushing attempts for 14 yards, with 2 receptions for 21 yards over 17 games in Kevin O’Connell’s first season as head coach. Heading into the regular season, many Vikings faithful believed Nwangwu would be showcased more often on offense — chiefly because of his gazelle-like speed — but that prognostication was mostly wrong.
He could theoretically be utilized more in 2023, though. The futures of incumbent running backs Dalvin Cook and Alexander Mattison are uncertain. Cook is scheduled to earn a gaudy payday, and it is unclear if the Vikings new analytics-based front office fancies paying large salaries to running backs. And Mattison is an honest-to-goodness free agent. If Minnesota parts ways with Cook or Mattison — or both — Nwangwu, along with 2022 rookie Ty Chandler, could comprise the Vikings 2023 backfield.
Former general manager Rick Spielman found Nwangwu in the 4th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Most of that draft class has already disbanded after the regime change at general manager and head coach last year, but men like Nwangwu, Christian Darrisaw, and Camryn Bynum are the survivors and making an impact.
Nwangwu ran a 4.32 forty-yard dash in the lead-up to the 2021 NFL Draft.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.