Vikings’ Jalen Reagor ran back a punt for a touchdown last time he faced Packers

Chris Tomasson, Pioneer Press
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The last time Jalen Reagor faced Green Bay, he had perhaps the highlight of his NFL career.

On Dec. 6, 2020, Reagor, then a rookie wide receiver for Philadelphia, ran back a punt 73 yards for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The score cut the deficit to 23-16 in a games the Eagles ended up losing 30-16.

Last week, Reagor was traded to the Vikings for a 2024 conditional fourth- or fifth-round draft pick and a 2023 seventh-round selection. His first game for Minnesota will be Sunday’s opener against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“They will, for sure,” Reagor said Wednesday when asked if the Packers might remember his touchdown return.

Reagor is listed as first on the depth chart and is expected to return punts for the Vikings on Sunday. He was asked if he has set his sights on another punt return for a score against Green Bay.

“I’d like to do it every week, for sure,” he said.

Before being selected with the No. 21 pick in the 2020 draft, Reagor averaged 20.8 yards on 15 punt returns for TCU in 2019, returning two for touchdowns. But his NFL career returning punts has been uneven.

Reagor, who returned four punts as a rookie and 31 last season, has a career average of 9.2 yards per return. But take away his only touchdown return, and his average drops to 7.3.

Reagor also has had a number of muffs. However, he is confident he can develop into an NFL punt returner good enough that teams will try to kick away from him.

“I haven’t returned enough to be kicked away from, so I still got to earn respect,” he said. “So I’m going to just try to make it happen and just keep doing it every week. Just showing them that eventually they’ll have to kick away from me.”

After the Vikings traded for Reagor, they waived receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette, who had been the first-string punt returner and was claimed by Chicago. Reagor doesn’t foresee an issue returning punts Sunday with just one week of practice for Minnesota.

“A punt return is a punt return really because throughout your career, you’re going against different punters anyway,” Reagor said. “I’ve been returning punts my whole life, so it’s kind of like one of those things you just adapt to. It’s a feel thing. … (I have the) ability with the ball in my hands. Any time I have the ball in my hands, it’s bound for something good to happen.”

Something very good happened two years ago when he scored on the return.

“It was crazy,” he sad. “When I scored, I didn’t even know what to do.”

Now, Reagor only can imagine what it would be like to return a punt for a touchdown for the Vikings, especially in a game at U.S. Bank Stadium.

“(It would mean) everything,” he said. “It’s the home crowd, my family. Just anything to help the team and give the fans a reason to cheer, I’m ready to do it.”

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