Every year there’s a surprise cut when it comes time to trim the roster down to the final 53. From preseason heroes to fan-favorite veterans, sometimes the math just isn’t mathing to keep everyone. For the 2026 Minnesota Vikings, they may have to set Myles Price free, even though he was one of the few bright spots from last season.
When he wasn’t getting bogged down by constant penalties on special teams, returner Myles Price was one of the highlights of the 2025 Vikings. Flags flew more than Delta Airlines in the return game, including one on what would have been a 99-yard kickoff return touchdown in Week 9. Even so, Price managed to accumulate over 1,700 return yards and established himself as a potential special teams gem.
Entering 2026, though, Price’s roster spot may be in more jeopardy than it seems.
Price is still a talented returner, but the Vikings may not be willing to save a roster spot for a true specialist. Minnesota’s receiver room is getting quite crowded, and outside of keeping seven receivers, Price may find that his return abilities haven’t carried him far enough.
The top three spots at receiver are givens with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings. After that, Tai Felton likely earns a spot just based on his draft position, untapped potential, and gunner skills.
Here’s where things get tricky, though. The word out of OTAs and minicamp is that undrafted free agent Dillon Bell has been impressive, even getting in runs with the second-team offense. He’s a yards-after-catch machine, and the Vikings may employ him as their WR4 over Felton this season. It gets likelier every day that he’ll have a spot on the 53-man roster.
If the Vikings can afford to use six roster spots on receiver, the last one probably boils down to Price and Jeshaun Jones, another receiver who has caught the eyes of the coaching staff.
Jones was another UDFA and got called up to the active roster for a bit last season, thanks in part to his ability to return punts. If he can also show that he has coverage abilities and maybe even some kick-returning chops, the Vikings may lean towards the bigger Jones for the final spot. At 6’1”, he offers a bit more size at the position than the 5’9” Price, and maybe more upside on offense if injuries happen.
Rookie running back Demond Claiborne has also shown some potential in the return game, and so if the Vikings opt to roster just five receivers, Price may not offer enough to justify a spot.
It may seem silly to leave a bright spot like Price off the roster in 2026 after a breakout season as a UDFA, but the Vikings will have some hard decisions to make at wide receiver. Realistically, no one expected Bell to skyrocket up to a near guarantee for the 53-man roster, and Jones has been a steady presence on the practice squad for years. So would the Vikings actually move on from Price just a year after his impressive rookie campaign?
Price had some issues with ball security, coughing up the ball three times in 2025. Meanwhile, he will once again offer essentially nothing of value on offense, but Kevin O’Connell still speaks highly of him.
“Myles Price…would be right up there as far as impactful springs in his growth and development so far through six days and even beyond that in Phase 2,” O’Connell said earlier this summer.
“And that’s where special teams comes into play, where clearly Tai and Myles have defined roles there,” O’Connell continued. “But what else and how else can we make this competitive? We’ve got some young guys we’re excited about, and we’ll let those guys compete and battle, go get a ton of work…in the preseason games. It’s about preparing yourself right now to attack that.”
So while O’Connell has said Price looked good, he also mentioned that they are looking to get a bit of a competition brewing on special teams. If Bell, Claiborne, or Jones make that hope come true, things could get interesting. With precious few roster spots available, sacrifices have to be made somewhere. It could be at receiver where the Vikings already boast one of the most talented trios in the NFL.
Ultimately, despite the turnover concerns and stiff competition at receiver, it feels like the Vikings probably hang on to six with Price claiming the final spot over Jones. Of course, it’s an easy assumption to make after his impressive debut season. Still, there are a lot of moving parts here.
If the Vikings decide to keep just five receivers, there’s a world where Price finds himself on the outside looking in, as difficult as it would be to imagine.
