09-16-2022, 12:22 PM
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/news/form...ia-vikings
If you ask Jalen Reagor, Monday night's game against the Eagles won't
be anything out of the ordinary. After all, he's played plenty of games
at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field since the Eagles drafted him
the first round two years ago. He's familiar with the atmosphere.
"My
emotions aren't really up, because it's a normal environment for me,
not hostile," Reagor said on Thursday. "I've been there."
But
realistically, this won't just be another game for Reagor. Two weeks
ago, the Eagles traded him to the Vikings for a couple late-round draft
picks. Now he's going back to the place where he had hoped to become a
star. After two disappointing seasons, he'll be on the other sideline —
across from guys like Miles Sanders, Devonta Smith, and Quez Watkins,
who he says are his best friends — hoping to contribute to a win over
his former team.
When asked if there's a part of him that wants to get revenge on the Eagles, Reagor didn't deny that it's crossed his mind.
"Of
course," he said "Why not? But I'm not going to go into the game
pressing. Just going to let the game come to me, whatever plays I make,
make the best of them."
Philly fans are notoriously tough. Every
first-round pick enters the league facing expectations and pressure, and
the local fans soured on Reagor as he struggled with drops and failed
to make a major impact during his first two NFL seasons. The TCU product
had just 64 catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns during his time
with the Eagles. Reagor was also hurt by something that was out of his
control: Justin Jefferson, now his teammate, being drafted one spot
behind him and almost immediately becoming one of the best receivers in
the league.
Reagor isn't worried about how he'll be greeted on Monday night by the fans in green.
“Who
knows? It could be good, bad, indifferent," he said. "Those things I
really don’t worry about because it’s out of my control."
One
thing's for sure: Reagor has enjoyed the change of scenery so far. It's
been a hectic couple weeks as he's tried to learn the Vikings' playbook
and get comfortable in the offense on the fly, but he's made quick
connections with the people around him.
"I just like being here," he said. "I like the culture, I like the players, the people around me, people in the building."
That
includes a wide receiver room that Reagor described as close-knit and
playful. He's known his new position coach, Keenan McCardell, since
McCardell was coaching at Maryland and tried to recruit him out of high
school. In Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn, Reagor is
around three receivers who get after it on the practice field and in
meetings but know how to have fun when they're not working.
Reagor,
the Vikings' punt returner and No. 4 wide receiver, had a fairly minor
role in his first game in Minnesota. He didn't play any snaps on offense
and only had the opportunity to return one of the Packers' four punts,
breaking a tackle to gain seven yards.
He hopes to eventually
carve out a role on offense but is leaving that entirely up to the
coaching staff. Reagor is controlling what he can control, which means
diving into the playbook and making sure he's ready to fill any role if
he's called upon to play, especially if one of the top three receivers
has to come out of the game.
If you ask Jalen Reagor, Monday night's game against the Eagles won't
be anything out of the ordinary. After all, he's played plenty of games
at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field since the Eagles drafted him
the first round two years ago. He's familiar with the atmosphere.
"My
emotions aren't really up, because it's a normal environment for me,
not hostile," Reagor said on Thursday. "I've been there."
But
realistically, this won't just be another game for Reagor. Two weeks
ago, the Eagles traded him to the Vikings for a couple late-round draft
picks. Now he's going back to the place where he had hoped to become a
star. After two disappointing seasons, he'll be on the other sideline —
across from guys like Miles Sanders, Devonta Smith, and Quez Watkins,
who he says are his best friends — hoping to contribute to a win over
his former team.
When asked if there's a part of him that wants to get revenge on the Eagles, Reagor didn't deny that it's crossed his mind.
"Of
course," he said "Why not? But I'm not going to go into the game
pressing. Just going to let the game come to me, whatever plays I make,
make the best of them."
Philly fans are notoriously tough. Every
first-round pick enters the league facing expectations and pressure, and
the local fans soured on Reagor as he struggled with drops and failed
to make a major impact during his first two NFL seasons. The TCU product
had just 64 catches for 695 yards and three touchdowns during his time
with the Eagles. Reagor was also hurt by something that was out of his
control: Justin Jefferson, now his teammate, being drafted one spot
behind him and almost immediately becoming one of the best receivers in
the league.
Reagor isn't worried about how he'll be greeted on Monday night by the fans in green.
“Who
knows? It could be good, bad, indifferent," he said. "Those things I
really don’t worry about because it’s out of my control."
One
thing's for sure: Reagor has enjoyed the change of scenery so far. It's
been a hectic couple weeks as he's tried to learn the Vikings' playbook
and get comfortable in the offense on the fly, but he's made quick
connections with the people around him.
"I just like being here," he said. "I like the culture, I like the players, the people around me, people in the building."
That
includes a wide receiver room that Reagor described as close-knit and
playful. He's known his new position coach, Keenan McCardell, since
McCardell was coaching at Maryland and tried to recruit him out of high
school. In Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn, Reagor is
around three receivers who get after it on the practice field and in
meetings but know how to have fun when they're not working.
Reagor,
the Vikings' punt returner and No. 4 wide receiver, had a fairly minor
role in his first game in Minnesota. He didn't play any snaps on offense
and only had the opportunity to return one of the Packers' four punts,
breaking a tackle to gain seven yards.
He hopes to eventually
carve out a role on offense but is leaving that entirely up to the
coaching staff. Reagor is controlling what he can control, which means
diving into the playbook and making sure he's ready to fill any role if
he's called upon to play, especially if one of the top three receivers
has to come out of the game.