Vikings Rookie Kicker Caps Off Near-Perfect Preseason

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Will Reichard
Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings have watched kickers cause heartbreak since Gary Anderson’s miss in the 1998 NFC Championship game. Plenty of different legs have cycle through since. There have been “wide left” and “wide right” descriptions. Will Reichard though, the rookie from Alabama, may just be ready to overcome it all.

Will Reichard caps off great preseason for Minnesota Vikings

Greg Joseph kicked for the Minnesota Vikings each of the past three seasons. Kevin O’Connell and Matt Daniels decided to move on this offseason after Joseph hit just 80% of his field goals last year. John Parker Romo thought he was getting a tryout, but Will Reichard was granted the job after being taken in the 6th round of the NFL Draft.

The Vikings gave Reichard plenty of opportunities this preseason and he answered the call in all of them. The Alabama product made 7-of-8 field goals with a long of 57 yards. He also converted each of his eight extra points. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was plenty please by what he has seen.

“Him walk out there and just hit a 57-yarder like it’s nothing, I’m trying to remember the last time I saw him miss a kick. He’s been ultra consistent. We were throwing different situational drills at him throughout training camp…he responded in those moments.”

Kevin O’Connell on Will Reichard’s performance

Related: Vikings Kicker Will Reichard Perfect Again

It has been some time since the Vikings have felt this good about their kicking situation. The hope would be that it continues when the games start to count.

Can Will Reichard be the Vikings next mainstay?

That missed kick didn’t define Gary Anderson’s career, even if it was the one that negated his otherwise perfect season. In the years since however, Minnesota has cycled through kickers at a breakneck pace. Mike Zimmer jettisoned the best one they employed just two games into Daniel Carlson’s rookie season. Las Vegas has employed Carlson for what will now be a seventh season. Minnesota is still seeking that consistency.

The Vikings have gone through a whole host of potentials since Anderson, and the list has some eye-popping names:

  • Doug Brien (2002) – Made just 71.4% of his extra points when they were kicked from the 2-yard line.
  • Aaron Elling (2003-04) – Connected on just 72% of his field goals.
  • Morten Andersen (2004) – Kicked against the Vikings in 1998, also a Hall of Famer.
  • Paul Edinger (2005) – Edinger was quite a far cry from what Andersen brought to the table.
  • Ryan Longwell (2006-11) – The former Packers kicker provided stability again, and also helped to recruit Brett Favre.
  • Blair Walsh (2012-16) – Another long run, but Walsh could never get past the miss against the Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium.
  • Kai Forbath (2016-17) – Better the further out he kicked, Forbath was a mess from extra point range.
  • Daniel Carlson (2018) – We’ll leave this one alone…
  • Dan Bailey (2018-20) – Signed as one of the most accurate kickers in history, Bailey missed four kicks in a game against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers.
  • Greg Joseph (2021-23) – The man now messing up with the Packers was in Minnesota for three seasons.

As you can tell, the list of futility is long. In more than two decades, the Vikings have had a kicker last more than three seasons just twice. After spending draft capital on Reichard, they are certainly hoping he can deviate from that ugly trend.

Related: Former Vikings Kicker Has Been Awful for Packers in Ugly Training Camp Battle

The better that Minnesota can kick this season, the more Sam Darnold will benefit from a level of comfort inside the red zone.

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