Heading into the 2025 NFL season, it's unclear who will enter Week 1 as the punt returner for the Minnesota Vikings. Brandon Powell, had the job for the last two years, and since he's still a free agent, it's still too early to rule out the Vikings bringing him back to return punts again. It will all just depend on how things go during the next few months.
Currently, there are several players in the running to land the job as Minnesota's new punt returner, including wide receiver Jalen Nailor, undrafted rookie receiver Silas Bolden, cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, and running back Ty Chandler.
There will likely be even more involved in the competition than the four mentioned above, and figuring out who is the best fit for the job will take place in Vikings OTAs, mini-camp, training camp, and the preseason.
Re-signing Brandon Powell could be an emergency punt return plan for the Minnesota Vikings
While his return numbers from the last two seasons aren't going to blow anyone away, Powell's reliability as a punt returner is something that shouldn't be taken for granted.
In the 2023 and 2024 regular seasons with Minnesota, he was on the receiving end of a total of 90 punts (59 returns and 31 fair catches). Of these 90 punts, Powell only muffed one of them, according to data from PFF.
When it comes to things like kick returns and punt returns, the Vikings are obviously going to want someone who is capable of taking one to the house. But Minnesota also wants returners who aren't going to cough up the football in their own territory and give an opponent an easier chance to score points.
In addition to his skills as a returner, Powell proved he can make an impact as a receiver during the last two years with the Vikings as well. So, it might not be a bad idea for Minnesota to have him on the roster next season, at least for the first few games when the team could potentially be without Jordan Addison due to a suspension.
We'll see what happens over the next few weeks, but if Vikings fans get a notification on their phones that the team has signed Powell before the start of the 2025 season, it will likely be because Minnesota didn't feel confident enough about their punt return situation heading into Week 1.
