Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels announced Tuesday that backup running back Ty Chandler will be the team’s primary kick returner with backup receiver Brandon Powell as the second deep man on kickoffs.
General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O’Connell had mentioned Myles Gaskin first among potential candidates for that role when asked last week who would return kickoffs after the team released former All-Pro kick returner Kene Nwangwu.
Daniels said Chandler has won the job because of his experience and his style as a sturdy 5-11, 204-pound running back with good “contact balance” to withstand the physicality of the NFL’s new kickoff rules.
“If you saw what the preseason looked like, guys are going to have to be able to break tackles,” Daniels said. “There are going to be times where you’re going to get free hitters through. And let’s be honest, the runners are taking a good bit of pounding. … So you look for a guy who has good vision, good contact balance … but also be able to attack the cover team fearlessly vertical. [Chandler] has that.”
As a college kick returner at Tennessee and North Carolina, Chandler averaged 23 yards with one touchdown on 37 attempts. As a Vikings rookie last year, he had four returns for 97 yards (24.3) with a long of 33.
O’Connell expressed hope last week that second-year quarterback Jaren Hall would clear waivers and be re-signed to the practice squad as a developmental fourth quarterback after the more experienced Brett Rypien was signed to replace Hall as the third quarterback.
Hall did clear waivers and did sign with a practice squad. Just not the Vikings’ practice squad.
Free to go anywhere, Hall chose to sign with the Seahawks’ practice squad.
