Jauan Jennings’ absence in Week 2 leaves the Vikings with a different kind of problem in Chicago: not a receiver emergency, but a workload puzzle.
Jennings won’t be available for Minnesota’s game against the Bears after missing all three practices, with the final injury report listing him out for a personal matter. That opens the door for Myles Price to take on more offensive work, but it also puts him in a spot where his return duties may matter even more than his snaps at receiver.
Price sits directly behind Jennings on the depth chart, and he is also first at both kickoff returner and punt returner. That means Minnesota could be asking one player to cover three jobs on Sunday. It’s a lot, especially for someone whose biggest value may come before the offense even lines up.
The Vikings have options on offense. Kevin O’Connell can spread Jennings’ usual workload around Price, Tai Felton, T.J.
Hockenson, and Josh Oliver. What he can’t do is replace a big return with a play design.
That’s why Price’s offensive role can grow without taking priority over the special teams work that makes him such an important piece.
His return production in Week 1 was impossible to ignore. Against Green Bay, Price averaged 35.8 yards on five kickoff returns, broke off a 68-yard return that changed the feel of the game, and added 13 yards on his lone punt return.
Through Week 1, his 179 kick return yards lead the NFL. Chicago special-teams coordinator Richard Hightower took notice and singled Price out in the Bears’ prep after studying one game of 2026 tape.
Myles Price setting the Vikings up with great field position
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That kind of burst can also send him right back onto the field for the next offensive snap. A long return could flip the field and then immediately turn into a receiver rep without Price ever heading to the sideline.
There’s risk in all of it, though. Price averaged 25.9 yards on kickoffs and 9.9 yards on punts as a rookie, but he also put the ball on the ground four times, so the ball-security question is still part of the conversation. Even so, Week 1 gave the Vikings proof that he can be a major field-position weapon when he holds onto it.
He’s also earned a larger place in the offense. In the preseason opener, Price led Minnesota with four catches for 51 yards and a touchdown, a strong sign of progress in Year 2. His speed gives the Vikings a way to stress Chicago with motion, quick screens, and crossers, and it can also set up a deep shot if the Bears start sitting on the short stuff.
Still, Jennings and Price are not the same kind of player. Jennings brings a physical edge in the run game and can win through contact on third down. Price’s game is about space, movement, and separation, not taking on the full bruising load.
So the likeliest setup is a committee. Felton can pick up some outside work, while Hockenson and Oliver help Minnesota lean into two-tight-end looks.
Price probably lands around a dozen offensive snaps, with a few designed touches and room for more only if the game calls for it. That would keep him involved without draining the legs that make him so dangerous as a returner.
For one game, Price can handle more. The Vikings just know where his real edge is. The snap count may not tell the full story, but if he handles both return jobs and an expanded offensive role, he’ll be Minnesota’s busiest player in every sense that matters.
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