Tag: Marcus Sherels

35 days until Vikings season opener: Every player to wear No. 35

14 players have worn the No. 35 for the Minnesota Vikings, but Marcus Sherels has worn it the longest

It’s the final countdown…

Well, sort of.

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 35 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.

From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.

With 35 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 35 with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):

Vikings CB Marcus Sherels listed as a training camp hero

Marcus Sherels has become one of the best special teams players in Vikings history, but before that, he had to impress the team in training camp.

Marcus Sherels started as a walk-on for the home-state Gophers before he became one of the Vikings’ best special teams players of all time.

Sherels finished his collegiate career with four interceptions. Then, Sherels signed with the Vikings as an undrafted free agent.

In order to succeed in the NFL, many undrafted free agents have to impress coaches early in the preseason in order to stay on the team. Sherels’ case was no different.

Bleacher Report listed him among the players who were training camp heroes. Here is what the outlet said about the Vikings return specialist:

“It took a couple of training camps for cornerback and return specialist Marcus Sherels to earn a prominent opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings. The undrafted free agent out of Minnesota earned a spot on the practice squad in 2010, and he then earned the returner gig during 2011 training camp.”

The rest is history. Sherels is the franchise’s all-time leader in punt return yards with 2,480 in total.

Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reported that Sherels is a 50-50 decision on retiring this offseason. He is not under contract and the Vikings have yet to re-sign him.

Report: cornerback/punt returner Marcus Sherels has ’50-50 chance’ of retiring

Would you want to see Marcus Sherels return to the team?

Marcus Sherels, who has played corner and returned punts for the Vikings, is considering retirement.

A source told the Pioneer Press that there is a “50-50” chance that Sherels will retire. He is in free agency and is 32 years old.

Besides a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2019-20, Sherels has played all of his games with the Vikings. He has a franchise-leading 2,480 career punt return yards with Minnesota. He also tallied 23 punt return yards for the Dolphins.

Sherels will certainly be remembered as a player who very rarely made mistakes. Though his age and the need for a new contract play a factor, it would be very disappointing for Sherels’ last NFL appearance to be the 49ers playoff game where he muffed a punt return, a rarity in what’s been a very consistent career leading up to this point. The Vikings could also re-sign him for pretty cheap, I’m sure.

Sherels is from Rochester, Minnesota, and he played for the Gophers in college.

Vikings down multiple cornerbacks for wild-card round game vs. Saints

The Minnesota Vikings will be without cornerbacks Mike Hughes and Mackensie Alexander against the New Orleans Saints in their wild-card game

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A few surprises accompanied the Minnesota Vikings’ final injury report for the wild-card round matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Cornerback Mike Hughes was downgraded from limited practice participation to being out for Sunday’s game with the Saints, and was subsequently moved to the injured reserve list with a neck issue.

Additionally, cornerback Mackensie Alexander was also downgraded, and will not be available for Sunday’s game. He’s been struggling with a knee injury. Both players rotate into and out of the slot corner position, and their absence will undoubtedly provide challenges for the Vikings defense.

Alexander is a huge loss, and is considered one of the better Vikings cornerbacks on the roster. He played 48.8% of all defensive snaps in 2019, and boasted a 65.7 rating from Pro Football Focus. Despite recording only one interception this season, Alexander has often provided above-replacement coverage at his position.

Hughes is also a significant loss for Minnesota, considering he saw an average of 45.6% of defensive snaps. He was also a punt returner who saw an expanded role with the special teams units as the season went on, so his loss will be felt on two different fronts of the Vikings gameplan.

Number-one cornerback Xavier Rhodes will be heavily relied upon against New Orleans, but we knew that already. He has recently struggled in his play, turning in his worst-graded season as a pro. Expect the Saints to consistently attack the slot and Rhodes in their offensive gameplan, creating opportunities for Michael Thomas and Drew Brees to attack downfield. Number-two cornerback Trae Waynes will also likely have to shoulder a heavier workload.

Minnesota signed veteran Marcus Sherels in response to both of these injury blows. Sherels will likely return punts for the Vikings, and provide depth at the cornerback position. Despite not seeing the field much this season, it appears Minnesota feel confident he can return to previous form and produce in a playoff situation. Ironically, he was the favorite to return punts for the Saints this year, but he was outplayed by rookie sensation Deonte Harris, who was named to both the Pro Bowl and AP first-team All-Pro list.

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Vikings place CB Mike Hughes on IR, sign Marcus Sherels

On Friday, the team announced it as placed cornerback Mike Hughes on the IR with a neck injury.

Well, this certainly isn’t great news for the Vikings as they prepare for Sunday’s wild card game against the Saints in New Orleans.

On Friday, the team announced it as placed cornerback Mike Hughes on the IR with a neck injury. Hughes participated in Wednesday’s practice this week, so it would appear the injury happened sometime this week. Or at least the injury got worse.

To take Hughes’ place on the roster, the team signed long-time Viking Marcus Sherels.

To make matters worse, the Vikings will also be without cornerback Mackensie Alexander (knee) for the game.

We can expect Jayron Kearse to get some time in the slot.

For a team that was already expected to have a tough time against Drew Brees and Michael Thomas, this is a huge blow two days before the game.

We can also expect Sherels to likely take over punt return duties. Sherels signed with the Saints last offseason after nine seasons with the Vikings only to be released prior to the season. The Vikings brought him back to Minnesota but later released him.