It’s still possible that Kevin O’Connell’s squad sends one or two players to the Pro Bowl Games once opt-outs and ineligibilities are factored in. Arguably more meaningful than the Pro Bowl, however, is All-Pro recognition, and Will Reichard has more than earned it.

Bill Barnwell Gives MN Vikings Kicker his All-Pro Nod

Despite outkicking Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey head-to-head earlier this season, it was Aubrey, not Will Reichard, who earned the Pro Bowl selection. ESPN insider Bill Barnwell corrected that oversight with his All-Pro picks.

Brandon Aubrey gets deserved plaudits as the league’s best kicker on a weekly basis, but Reichard has actually been slightly better this season per advanced metrics. He has attempted eight fewer field goals than Aubrey, but Reichard has gone 30-for-32, whereas Aubrey is 35-for-40. Even with the slightly reduced volume, Reichard has made 6.7 more field goals than expected (per NGS), compared with 6.5 for Aubrey, as his average field goal make has been from a yard further out. Reichard has also been perfect on extra points. Vikings fans endured about a decade of frustrating kickers, but Reichard has broken that trend.

Bill Barnwell – ESPN

Reichard made headlines by drilling a 58-yard field goal as a rookie and later extending his career-long with a 62-yard make this season. Beyond sheer distance, his performance has also drawn because of a small number of missed kicks.

There’s absolutely no denying that one miss in London against the Cleveland Browns struck a wire hanging above the playing surface. It’s also possible a similar issue occurred at SoFi Stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers.

MOVE THE WIRES 😂😂😂 32/32 https://t.co/UK4jt1uWyg

— Isaiah Rodgers Sr. (@rodgers_isaiah) January 1, 2026

The history of the NFL kicking is filled with heartbreak. Perfect seasons have been ruined with wide-lefts and wide-rights. In recent years, the position has been a revolving door for Minnesota, especially after Mike Zimmer’s abrupt dismissal of Daniel Carlson left the team searching for stability.

Reichard has been exactly that answer. The Vikings’ special teams unit as a whole, (long snapper Andrew DePaola, punter Ryan Wright, and Reichard) has been among the most consistent this across the league this season. Reichard should have been a Pro Bowler, but a first-team All-Pro nod is a a fitting and meaningful consolation.

In the official record books, it goes down as a 37-10 beatdown, though I’m not even sure that score does this one justice. Within the chaos of Thursday’s loss, we found out a few things about our MN Vikings, most were not good.

But we also learned something about the NFL league offices tonight, too. Remember Will Reichard’s “missed” field goal from a couple of weeks ago in London? The one that Reichard and most of the internet believes went wide right because it hit a camera cable on its way up?

Took a look back at the Will Reichard "missed" field goal myself (in HD since it's 2025)… and there's no doubt the British cable screwed him. pic.twitter.com/y0VEFVgSg4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

During his pregame preparation, Thursday Night Football play-by-play broadcaster (and TV voice legend) Al Michaels chatted with Reichard, who confirmed with him that the only field goal he has missed on the season came in London, and only happened because it hit a camera wire.

NFL says MN Vikings’ overseas wire incident was an optical illusion…

Well apparently, the NFL did not like that very much because a little while later, when Will the Thrill took the field for yet another FG attempt, Michaels was forced to “correct the record” live on-air, making it clear that the NFL’s official stance on that London missed kick was that it did NOT hit a wire.

In fact, they specifically told the broadcasting legend that the video above, which clearly shows the ball hitting a wire, was nothing more than an optical illusion. As Al mentions, neither he nor Reichard are convinced.

The NFL forced Al Michaels to 'correct the record' on-air… WOW. Apparently, the league's official status on the controversial missed FG is that it DID NOT hit the wire.

"The league wants to take my lunch away because I said before that Reichard's only miss came when he hit a… pic.twitter.com/AZZkedUvFX

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 24, 2025

Related: NFL Insider Reveals Interesting Update on Vikings Plans for JJ McCarthy

I know one thing for sure, I will trust my eyes any day of the week, before I trust the National Football League offices. Until I see absolute proof that shotty camerawork/angles caused my eyes to deceive me, you cannot convince me that Will Reichard’s kick at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium did not hit that camera wire.

That win wasn’t easy, either. After losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin week 4, it took a last-minute touchdown drive from Carson Wentz & Co. for the Vikings to secure a tight 21-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns week 5 in London.

Minnesota Vikings vs Tottenham Hotspur Camera Cable

Had the offense not secured a late dub in London, however, the Minnesota Vikings and their fan base would be a lot louder about a camera wire at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that cost their field goal kicker Will Reichard three points against the Cleveland Browns earlier that same quarter.

Took a look back at the Will Reichard "missed" field goal myself (in HD since it's 2025)… and there's no doubt the British cable screwed him. pic.twitter.com/y0VEFVgSg4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

Shotty camera-work on the replay made it really hard to see the actual contact, but Reichard’s fourth quarter field goal attempt above (which would have tied the game at the time) appeared to hit a camera cable, which deflected it hard right and way wide of the post.

Prior to that field goal attempt, Will Reichard was a perfect 8-of-8 on the 2025 regular season. So, when his people saw the evidence showing Will’s missed kick was caused by a camera cable, the submitted a request to the league to have the miss removed from his statistics.

NFL admits cable blocked Will Reichard’s kick

In response, the NFL admitted that Reichard’s kick did hit the camera cable — something they had yet to realize publicly. But according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the league won’t go back and make it right.

Instead, the league notified the MN Vikings kicker that, while his kick did hit the wire, they would not be changing his individual stats to show one less miss on the season, meaning Will the Thrill’s statline for the season still shows 8-of-9.

Sources: #Vikings K Will Reichard’s agents and the team’s front office requested that the NFL remove his missed FG from last week’s London game after it clearly struck a camera cable, causing the ball to take an unnatural turn to the right.

The NFL acknowledged it was a missed… pic.twitter.com/VLNayoFKXl

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 12, 2025

Related: Game Moving Too Fast for MN Vikings QB?

It’s too bad Will Reichard won’t get his numbers rightfully rectified. However, the NFL’s acknowledgement that the football actually hit the wire makes this news worthwhile for me. There were an absurd about of people on the internet who tried to argue that Reichard’s field goal attempt never hit a wire — that it was just an optical illusion.

Of course, an introduction to physics class could tell you that the ball came in contact with the camera cable. Nonetheless, after the league confirmed it, the internet can now put 2025 Cablegate to bed… right?

When the 3-2 Minnesota Vikings return to play week 7, they will welcome the Philadelphia Eagles to U.S. Bank Stadium. It’s far from a must-win game, but if the Vikings want to call themselves a playoff team in a few months, it’d sure go a long way in helping them do that.

And going into their bye, with 12 games remaining on their 2025 regular season schedule, the Vikings have more wins (3) than they do losses (2). Still, nothing came easy for the “away” team on Sunday.

In fact, there were moments in the second half on Sunday where it felt like the football gods had something against the MN Vikings, a feeling that hit its peak early on in the 4th quarter, when Will Reichard missed a 51 yard field goal WILD right that would have tied the game at 17.

Here was how Reichard's "miss" looked in real time pic.twitter.com/OXMlOcWEQ3

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

Or did he. Shortly after the game moved on out in London, social media detectives quickly started breaking down the film in slow motion, where it appeared to show that Reichard’s kick hit a cable hanging over the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which is why the ball took a sudden turn to the right.

Will Reichard’s kick blocked by stadium cable

There weren’t a lot of clear shots on the internet and sources tell Ben Goessling (Star Tribune) that NFL’s replay assist “did not see a view that showed #Vikings kicker Will Reichard’s fourth-quarter field goal hitting a wire”. But just to be sure, I took it upon myself to do what the league apparently couldn’t.

I slowed down the tape in high definition, where I quickly realized that beyond the cable itself, bad camerawork was Will Reichard’s worst enemy on this kick. When the ball goes up, it takes off above the camera shot. But when slowed way down, you can see the ball hit the cable immediately when it comes back into the frame.

Took a look back at the Will Reichard "missed" field goal myself (in HD since it's 2025)… and there's no doubt the British cable screwed him. pic.twitter.com/y0VEFVgSg4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 5, 2025

If your eyes aren’t very good and you still aren’t convinced, the cable aggressively swinging back and forth, as the ball magically changes mid-air from end-over-end into a sideways tailspin and its flight path takes a hard turn right.

Without a doubt, that football smoked that cable, and I have little doubt that it would have been comfortably inside the right upright, had that cable not impeded its original path. No matter, the official record will show that this “miss” was the first of Reichard’s season, moving him to 8-for-9 entering the week 7 bye.

Related: Minnesota Vikings WR in Trouble Again?

Back at the NFL replay offices in New York, someone needs a very serious job review on Monday. Had the replay officials there noticed the cable’s interference, like Twitter did, then Will Reichard would have gotten a chance to rekick.

Thankfully, this botched no-call didn’t cost the Minnesota Vikings a victory on Sunday. But in a game as close as this one was, it sure as hell could have.

But for those inside of TCO Performance Center, this week is much more important. Not only do they have another preseason game on Saturday against the New England Patriots, once dominant AFC contender is coming to town a few days early for a couple midweek joint practice sessions too.

It’s at this week’s joint practices where many MN Vikings starters, on both sides of the football, will get most of their training camp and preseason work in. These joint practices are competitive and, by design, incredibly intense.

Minnesota Vikings player stocks on the rise entering week 2 of preseason

Without a doubt, this week’s visit from the Pats will help Minnesota’s coaching staff decipher who on the Vikings’ 90-man roster is a contender for final spots on the regular season 53-man roster, compared to who is a pretender.

These sessions will also go a long way toward deciding position battles that are being had throughout the depth chart. So, with one 20-10 exhibition victory now in their back pocket and a big week up ahead, let’s take a look at which Vikings players have bumped their training camp stock, thus far.

MN Vikings Stock 📈: QBs Max Brosmer, Sam Howell

This is the only spot where I have two players listed next to each other. That’s because it felt wrong to leave either Max Brosmer or Sam Howell off this list, but I also didn’t want to use up two spaces on depth quarterbacks.

I wrote more on the current standing of the Minnesota Vikings’ QB room, after all three of them played in the first preseason game of the summer on Saturday. But combined, Howell and Brosmer completed 16-of-21 passes for 152 yards and 1 touchdown, immediately answering the 53-man roster questions surrounding both quarterbacks.

For the first week or two of training camp, Sam Howell struggled badly enough to where multiple local beat writers and plugged-in media members were wondering if it was time for the Vikings to start exploring outside backup quarterback options.

If general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was in that same headspace, and actively making calls last week on QB options not currently in purple, I’d imagine he hung up the phone by halftime of Minnesota’s preseason win over Houston.

Sam Howell had one hell of a day in his MN Vikings preseason debut. pic.twitter.com/OSLpeC9Y9c

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 10, 2025

Related: JJ McCarthy’s Leadership on Full Display in Vikings Return; O’Connell Giddy…

Howell may not be the best executor of Kevin O’Connell’s offense during the week, especially right now, coming in new. But the one-time UNC standout proved over the weekend that, if needed in a pinch, the soon to be 25-year-old QB with 18 games of starting NFL experience would be a perfectly viable option.

Meanwhile, Max Brosmer has impressed coaches, teammates and media members throughout the early-part of 2025 training camp. Still, most believed the former Gopher was destined for the Vikings’ 2025 practice squad.

Following his performance in week one of the preseason, however, that is no longer a guarantee. With two games remaining, both of which Brosmer is expected to get A LOT of playing time, the 24-year-old has an opportunity to make himself uncuttable by the time Minnesota’s exhibition schedule is completed.

Nice Max Brosmer throw to Myles Price, who has impressed in training camp pic.twitter.com/jhdgcpdi6s

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 9, 2025

B1G Connection @maxtbro @Myles_price3

📺: @FOX9 | @NFLNetwork
📻: @KFAN1003 pic.twitter.com/Au4atULnVg

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 9, 2025

Stock 📈: EDGE Gabe Murphy

Gabe Murphy isn’t new to any list that includes Minnesota Vikings training camp standouts. In 2024, after signing as an undrafted free agent, Murphy was one of the earliest rookies to stand out last summer.

Unfortunately, he suffered an injury at the end of camp that landed him on injured reserve for a large chunk of the regular season. But exactly one year later, Murphy has picked up right where he left off prior to his injury this time last preseason.

Even prior to Saturday’s exhibition contest, Murphy was a player being regularly mentioned as an undrafted free agent making an impact at Minnesota Vikings practices. Against the Texans, he doubled down on that optimism with 3 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 5 QB hits, disrupting Houston’s plans all afternoon in both their run and pass game.

#Vikings edge rusher Gabriel Murphy was really impressive yesterday. Remember, he had a strong camp last year before his injury:

(@WillRagatz)pic.twitter.com/XUDbI27ESG

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 11, 2025

Murphy finished Saturday’s preseason game with a 80.2 PFF grade on defense, a number that was buoyed by his 85.3 pass rush grade. Neither he nor Bo Richter will wow viewers in pass coverage — Murphy scored a 61.4 coverage grade vs Texans — but Gabe excelled everywhere else (69.6 Run DEF, 72.0 tackle).

There isn’t a lot of room on the Vikings’ 53-man roster at outside linebacker, behind Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Dallas Turner, but Gabe Murphy has to be the current leader for the remaining 1-3 spots that are available.

MN Vikings Stock 📈: K Will Reichard

On Saturday, Will Reichard kicked four total field goals (2 XP, 2 FG) and hit all four in convincing fashion, including a 48-yarder that capped off a 13-play drive from the Minnesota Vikings starters early in the first quarter.

WILL REICHARD WITH THE LEG TO GIVE THE VIKINGS THEIR FIRST POINTS & LEAD OF THE PRESEASON! pic.twitter.com/vBWBvV4QLY

— Adam (@vikingsman_28) August 9, 2025

This time last year, that would not have surprised anyone. Reichard came in as a 6th round pick out of Alabama and Vikings coaches were so impressed by his summer workouts that they cut his veteran competition, John Parker Romo, prior to their first preseason game.

Will Reichard went on to hit 14 of his first 14 regular season NFL field goal attempts, to start out his MN Vikings career (along with a perfect XP mark – 23/23). Unfortunately, the rookie kicking phenom suffered an injury in week 9, which resulted in the first two misses of his career.

Related: Insiders Lukewarm on Minnesota Vikings Future

Reichard was placed on the injured list from week 10 to week 13, and when he returned, he was no longer Mr. Automatic, converting on just 4-of-6 field goal attempts. Both misses came from 40-49 yards, where Will had been automatic since becoming the starter in Alabama.

After getting healthy over the offseason, most fans and media pundits expected the 24-year-old kicker to regain last year’s camp form early this summer. Reality didn’t play out that way, however. Instead, Reichard struggled with accuracy during the first few weeks of training camp.

One of Will Reichard’s misses… with the doink on the left upright. pic.twitter.com/cEsIxKI4Dr

— Skol Geek (@SkolGeek) July 29, 2025

Thankfully, over the past week or two, it sounds like Will has turned things around. He was perfect during the Vikings’ night practice last weekend, and hit on all four of his attempts against the Texans. Let’s hope whatever had been going on since last season’s injury is now behind the Minnesota Vikings’ present and future at kicker.

Stock 📈: RB Zavier Scott

Lastly, we cannot make a 2025 Minnesota Vikings camp stock risers list without including rookie undrafted free agent running back, Zavier Scott, who has been one of the top standouts early on in training camp.

Well, on Saturday against the Texans, he did absolutely nothing to slow down his preseason hype train. After his top competition for RB3, Ty Chandler, took 5 handoffs for a total of just 5 yards (1 YPC) — plus 3 receptions for 20 yards — Scott was given his first NFL preseason opportunity.

And he was not going to let it go to waste, rushing 7 times for 40 yards (5.7 YPC), including a 12-yard toss play in the third quarter that showed off his speed and tackle-breaking abilities. Scott, a former wide receiver, also caught one screen pass for 11 yards and a first down.

End zone view of #Vikings RB Zavier Scott's 51 yards from scrimmage on 8 touches against the Texans.

6'1", 219. Former college WR. He's got some juice! pic.twitter.com/pDxIKnrRg9

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) August 11, 2025

Related: What We Learned About the MN Vikings’ QB Situation vs Texans

I don’t know if the Minnesota Vikings are ready to hand Xavier Scott the RB3 position just yet. But at this point, there is nothing that Ty Chandler does better than Scott out of the backfield (other than being one of the fastest players on the team).

The converted Maine/UConn receiver can run the ball inside and outside, can obviously catch passes at a high level, and unlike Chandler, he can block a little bit too.

Neither Sam Darnold or Kevin O’Connell were very good on Sunday night. Another and maybe more problematic issue though is that rookie kicker Will Reichard hasn’t been good for some time. Which is certainly a cause for postseason concern.

Will Reichard may be a problem for the Minnesota Vikings

For weeks after being drafted in the sixth round, Will Reichard looked like a great comeup for a Minnesota team needing reliable kicking. Then he got hurt, and he hasn’t been the same since. Now ESPN’s Kevin Seifert is at least skeptical as to whether he sinks the ship.

“The Vikings are 9-1 in one-score games for several reasons, including well-timed field goals from Will Reichard and John Parker Romo, who served as a four-game injury replacement. Reichard opened the season by converting his first 14 field goal attempts before suffering a quadriceps injury. Since then, Reichard has made 10 of 16 kicks. The Vikings still have full confidence in Reichard and don’t believe that he is having any lingering effects from his injury. But taking a rookie kicker into the playoffs can be nerve-wracking, especially when he enters the postseason in a bit of a slump.”

Kevin Seifert on Will Reichard (ESPN)

The stakes are higher in the postseason, and Minnesota would certainly love to be seeing Reichard at his best. Since returning from injured reserve, the rookie has yet to miss an extra point. Unfortunately, though, he is just 10-of-14 on field goals in that stretch, and he missed his final two attempts before the injury.

Will Reichard misses a 51 yard field goal badly to the right,

Called by Paul Allen and Pete Bercich for KFXN in Minneapolis: pic.twitter.com/Pds1qLiS2C

— will: Riley Greene Truther (@wrhiv_72) January 6, 2025

Sunday’s performance was particularly troubling as multiple kickoffs looked poor, including one that went out of bounds and set the Lions up for a score. Reichard has continued to show a big leg, but the accuracy has escaped him.

Here's a fact that may or may not matter. Rookie PK Will Reichard has missed 5 kicks this season. Three have hit an upright and one hit the crossbar.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) December 30, 2024

Although some of his misses this season have been by just inches, it doesn’t change the result. Minnesota knows that they can win close games, but they have to feel an ability to be able to rely on the kicker to come through.

Related: NFL Playoff Odds: Minnesota Vikings Open as Wildcard Favorites vs LA Rams

As Minnesota turns their attention to the Los Angeles Rams on wild card weekend, they must focus on execution. That is true from the top down, but for a player only rostered to make kicks, it’s time to find that early season form once again.

An uphill battle for Minnesota

It’s not just the kicking woes that the Vikings will be up against on Monday night. As they travel to Los Angeles, they’ll be seeking a chance to win a third-straight road playoff game. This team is good enough to do it, and NFL Analyst Ben Solak still believes.

“The Vikings could have carried a 10 (heat check, currently 7) had they beaten the Lions on Sunday night, but this is still an excellent team on both sides of the ball. Few teams have won three straight playoff games on the road, but if anyone can do it, I’d back these Vikings.”

Ben Solak on the Vikings (ESPN)

After losing a game against the Lions, Minnesota should feel excited about an opportunity to avenge an earlier loss to the Rams. O’Connell gets to match wits with former boss Sean McVay again, and he should be looking to prove his team has the upper hand.

This game is unlikely to involve a controversial facemask call, and Minnesota is a road favorite for a reason. There’s an immediate opportunity to remove the bad taste from an ugly loss to Detroit. In order to do so, the 14-win team will need to show up.

A game-sealing safety on what should've been a facemask call against the Rams.

"They cannot review that. But he definitely got the facemask (of Sam Darnold). " – Kirk Herbstreit

"Viking fans are going 'What the hell?!'" – Al Michaels #NFL #TNF 🏈🦓🎙️ pic.twitter.com/DbfLrhtXHr

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 25, 2024

Related: New York Jets Request Interviews for Two Minnesota Vikings Coaches

There’s a scenario in which the Vikings host a playoff game after winning on Wild Card Weekend. Even if they travel back out on the road to see the Lions for a third time, that’s still a scenario they’d welcome.

The Minnesota Vikings are also set to welcome back a crucial player tomorrow, rookie standout kicker Will Reichard, who’s been sidelined for the past month on injured reserve.

Minnesota Vikings K Will Reichard and LS Andrew DePaola activated

The Minnesota Vikings announced today that Will Reichard and Andrew DePaola will be back tomorrow. Resuming their full-time roles as kicker and long snapper.

The #Vikings have activated LS Andrew DePaola and K Will Reichard from IR.

K Parker Romo has been waived and OLB Gabriel Murphy has been elevated to the active roster for tomorrow's game.https://t.co/tzYiHkh5qM pic.twitter.com/cC3v8o0SMv

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 7, 2024

Along with this update, the team announced they’ve waived kicker John Parker Romo. Romo, who impressed by going 11-for-12 on field goals and 7-for-8 on extra points over four games. The bright side for Romo, he’s definitely got a future in the NFL.

Romo has definitely made an impact over the last four weeks, playing a key role in the Vikings’ winning streak and showing the NFL he deserves a spot on a roster. The issue? The Vikings already have a stud kicker in Will Reichard. So far this season, Reichard has nailed 14 of 16 field goals and is a perfect 23 for 23 on extra points.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Have Been Trying to Extend Byron Murphy Jr

It’s going to be awesome seeing Reichard back in action tomorrow. It’ll also be very interesting to see where Parker Romo lands.

But that isn’t the entire pregame story, this week. Sure, the Minnesota Vikings are 10-2, but they just fell behind another half-game in their own division on Thursday night, when the Detroit Lions defeated the Green Bay Packers, to move to 12-1, on their season. If the purple want to keep pace, they have to beat the Falcons.

Final Minnesota Vikings Injury Report – Week 14

And they will have to do that with one of the most crowded final injury reports of the season. On Friday, top cornerback Stephon Gilmore was officially ruled out, after missing practice all week. But he wasn’t the only one listed. Starters Dalton Risner (RG), Andrew Van Ginkel (EDGE) and rookie kicker Will Reichard, among others, were all listed as questionable.

Dalton Risner was one of the best offensive linemen on the Minnesota Vikings roster, last week, in their win over the Arizona Cardinals, posting an 88.0 PFF pass blocking grade, and a 69.9 overall grade. Both were 15-20 points higher than his career average.

On Thursday, the 29-year-old, 6-year NFL veteran surprisingly popped up on the injury report. One day later, he’s listed as questionable to play, meaning the Vikings may have turn back to Ed Ingram, who was a healthy scratch in week 13.

Related: Local Insider Would Bet on Blossoming Safety Leaving the Minnesota Vikings

Andrew Van Ginkel, who is near the top of just about every statistical defensive category on the Vikings roster, including tackles (59), sacks (9), interceptions touchdowns (2) and tackles for loss (15). He has been limited all week with a thigh injury.

Vikings defense in danger of losing their best players vs Atlanta Falcons

Losing Van Ginkel would be devastating to what the Vikings are trying to do defensively, especially since arguably their best cover corner is already out. The same can be said for Harrison Phillips, who is one of the emotional and veteran leaders of a Minnesota defense that relies on those guys to run the very free-willed defense that Brian Flores likes to run.

Even Pat Jones is enjoying a career year, The 26-year-old has played in 12 games and recorded 7.0 sacks, easily a career-high. The more of these guys they lose, the less freelancing and on-field adjustments will be made, pre-snap. In theory, that should make the Minnesota Vikings defense more predictable for a veteran QB like Kirk Cousins.

Related: Top 10 Most Defining Moments of Kirk Cousins Career with the Minnesota Vikings

Head coach Kevin O’Connell said that the Vikings will make a decision on Will Reichard today. As of now, John Parker Romo is still on the roster, but KOC said earlier this week that, barring any setbacks, Reichard was expected back vs the Falcons. Long-snapper Andrew DePaola is expected to return, after the team released his replacement earlier in the week.

We know who the Vikings quarterback will be. It’s Kirk’s temporary replacement, Sam Darnold. The bigger question, though: Who is going to kick field goals. During the first eight games of this season, that was the job of Alabama rookie kicker, Will Reichard. But he suffered an injury in week 8 that landed him on injured reserve.

Will Reichard could return for Minnesota Vikings this week

On Tuesday, Reichard had his 21-day practice window open, which makes him eligible to be activated to the 53-man roster at any time. As of early Wednesday afternoon, we had no idea how long it would be before that actually happened.

Luckily, Kevin O’Connell gave us an update at his 1:30 PM press conference, telling gathered media member that he is hopeful, barring any setbacks, that both Will Reichard and his long-snapper, Andrew DePaola will be available on Sunday vs the Atlanta Fighting Cousins.

“We opened the window for Will [Reichard] and [Andrew DePaola]. We’ll see kind of how their work weeks look like, but barring any setbacks, we’re hoping to have both of them back, and we’ll work through that throughout the week.”

Kevin O’Connell Wednesday on Will Reichard and Andrew DePaola’s status for Sunday vs Atlanta

Reichard back in would mean John Parker Romo out

In the eight games before he went on the shelf, Will Reichard was 14-of-16 on field goal attempts, and 23-of-23 on extra point tries. His only missed field goals came during his final game, after he sustained the quad injury that landed him on injured reserve. He missed two kicks in that last game vs the Indianapolis Colts.

In his absence, John Parker Romo has kicked brilliantly, and probably earned himself a full-time NFL job, once the Minnesota Vikings eventually cut him from the roster, which seems like it’ll be this week. During his four games in purple, Parker Romo is 11-of-12 on field goals and 7-of-8 in extra points.

Related: Where Will John Parker Romo Land When He is Kicked to the Curb by Vikings?

Where will Minnesota Vikings John Parker Romo wind up?

The Minnesota Vikings moved on from veteran Greg Joseph this offseason. That meant they needed to find a new answer at the kicker position. Rather than go with a selection that likely won’t make the roster, they chose Will Reichard in the sixth round out of Alabama. The highly decorated college leg established himself quickly and was nearly perfect before hitting injured reserve with a quadriceps issue. He’s now on his way back.

How badly did Rich Eisen want Will Reichard to miss this kick…? 😂 pic.twitter.com/LI0fWcB7VM

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 6, 2024

John Parker Romo was brought back after being jettisoned during training camp and he has cemented his placed as a professional talent. The former big-leg in XFL action had made 11-of-12 kicks in a Vikings uniform, and he’ll certainly command a job once Minnesota goes back to their starter. The Vikings have seen quite a turn of events in having two competent kickers, but that means the backup is going to garner attention elsewhere.

Vet move 👌

Jake McQuaide made sure to get the ball from @Romo_HKA’s first NFL game-winning kick for him. pic.twitter.com/NgOERhlYUV

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 24, 2024

That’s great news for John Parker Romo. He was unemployed for the first handful of weeks to start the season. With turnover at the position across the league, there are multiple opportunities, but where does he wind up? It has to be a team that is winning enough to value the position, and one that has an incumbent leg struggling at converting.

Baltimore Ravens

How wild is it to think that the Baltimore Ravens would replace a legend like Justin Tucker? Unfortunately the 35-year-old has converted on a career-low 70.4% (19-27) of his kicks this season. It may be getting late early, and a team with Super Bowl aspirations certainly can’t afford to have their special teams sink them.

"That is concerning as it gets later in the year if I'm a Ravens fan." – Tony Romo on Justin Tucker missing another field goal pic.twitter.com/ynU0hr422F

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 1, 2024

Romo would provide a fresh leg that could compete down the stretch. He’d immediately join another contender, and having kicked for the Vikings, he already knows him impactful each swing is.

Atlanta Falcons

Minnesota gets to see Younghoe Koo this weekend. The Atlanta Falcons are a fringe playoff team and plenty of that depends on the ability of quarterback Kirk Cousins. The former Georgia Southern kicker was sent packing by the Chargers in 2017 when he made just three of his first six kicks. Things have been much better since, but in 2024 the 30-year-old has made just 21-of-29 (72.4%) kicks.

Quite a moment caught by @bkfox5sports after Falcons loss — kicker Younghoe Koo taps himself on the chest as he exits field, then team owner Arthur Blank puts his arm around Koo and talks with him as they walk off the field. pic.twitter.com/wZkqTCMqGM

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) November 10, 2024

If Atlanta thinks they can benefit from a change at the position, another poaching from Minnesota makes sense. Koo made a Pro Bowl back in 2020, and has been a consistent talent for the Falcons, but things fall apart quickly.

Los Angeles Rams

Much like the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams drafted a kicker during the 2024 NFL Draft. They took Stanford’s Joshua Karty in the same round as Will Reichard and had hopes of him being a difference maker in year one. Through 12 games Karty has made just 16-of-21 (76.2%) kicks, and he is only 2-of-4 from 40-49 yards. Matthew Stafford has battled through his weapons being unavailable, but his special teams unit has let him down.

Going into Week 11, NFL kickers had missed ONE field goal all season from 27 yards or less (99/100). We just had TWO misses in a span of two minutes

• Joshua Karty (Rams): 26 (Shortest missed kick this season)
• Dustin Hopkins (Browns): 27pic.twitter.com/cK0cstJXqy

— John Breech (@johnbreech) November 17, 2024

If Sean McVay wants to give his veteran quarterback a short to make a postseason run, it will include winning on the fringes. Cutting ties with Karty would look similar to what Minnesota did with Carlson, but maybe there is a way to simply slide him to the side for a period of time.

Philadelphia Eagles

It’s disappointing to think that the Vikings could help out another good team, but that’s what the Eagles have in front of them. Philadelphia has a 10-2 record despite kicker Jake Elliot. The eight-year veteran has converted just 18-of-23 (78.3%) field goals this season. He is also 0-for-4 from beyond 50 yards.

Jake Elliott MISSES From 44. pic.twitter.com/lEXKElkmrU

— Mr Matthew CFB (@MrMatthew_CFB) November 15, 2024

If there is an opportunity for Nick Sirianni’s team to improve, it seems to come through special teams. Moving on from Elliot would be substantial, but Romo has been a much more reliable option since taking over for Minnesota. There is a very real possibility that these two teams could meet in the playoffs.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Injury Updates: Stephon Gilmore Latest, Will Reichard Returns to Practice

No matter what happens with the Vikings this time around, Romo should have zero ill will. Minnesota gave him an opportunity and he showcased his abilities. He should be kicking at he highest level for a winning team the rest of the way.