One Former Viking Exploded on Sunday
By the numbers, he’s good for about one per season, and that’s what Kene Nwangwu did for the New York Jets on Sunday.
One Former Viking Exploded on Sunday
Like his days with the Minnesota Vikings, Nwangwu returned a kick 99 yards for a touchdown.
In fact, the return + score was his first kick return opportunity outside of the Vikings’ orbit. Nwangwu took it to the house.
The 99-yard scamper was Nwangwu’s very first regular season transaction of the season, called up from the practice squad for special teams duty. Nwangwu didn’t disappoint.
His team, on the other hand, did disappoint, as the Jets lost to the Seattle Seahawks 26-21.
Minnesota cut ties with Nwangwu in August, and he promptly went to the New Orleans Saints, but soon after, he failed a physical in New Orleans, ending that relationship and tossing him on the free-agent market. He landed with the Jets soon after.
Nwangwu’s role with the Vikings was minimized last year when players and teams were allowed to take the football at the 25-yardline on kick-offs, no matter what, with a fair catch signal. Fast forward to 2024, and Nwangwu was the odd man out for Minnesota, even with revised kick-return rules. New York reaped the benefits of Minnesota’s roster cut, if only for a day.
One of the fastest players in the NFL, Vikings loyalists longed for Nwangwu’s involvement in the team’s offense for the last three years because of his speed, but the wish was not granted. The Iowa State alumnus touched the ball 33 times on offense for 118 yards from scrimmage in his career, not exactly a productive resume for a player with three seasons in the books.
Minnesota discovered Nwangwu in the 4th Round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and he had returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in three years. His kick return touchdown on Thanksgiving night versus the New England Patriots in 2022 was a game-saver for Minnesota. The Vikings forced no turnovers against Bill Belichick’s team, oddly couldn’t stop quarterback Mac Jones, leaving Nwangwu’s performance as the hinge that determined the game.
Outside of Nwangwu’s highlight, New York is one of the league’s most disappointing teams. It has a 3-9 record through 13 weeks and is virtually eliminated from the postseason. The Aaron Rodgers experiment in New Jersey utterly flopped.
On Sunday, though, Nwangwu more than did his part.
All Eyes Turn to New Injury for Vikings
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.