One Viking Teases His Immediate Exit
The Minnesota Vikings have kicked off their training camp last week. Some established players use the few weeks to get ready for the regular season, while others need to perform well to earn a spot on the 53-man roster or compete for starting jobs and roles within the three phases. One of those competitions might be over.
One Viking Teases His Exit
While most people pay attention to the development of rookie passer J.J. McCarthy, a fellow rookie will be contributing immediately, as kicker Will Reichard has been the overwhelming favorite to win the job on special teams since his name was called on April 27.
Roughly three months later, it seems as if the Vikings are done pretending like the sixth-rounder needs to beat his competition to secure a spot in the 53-man roster. The front office added John Parker Romo in March. Like Sam Darnold at quarterback, he was supposed to fill the gap until a rookie would take the job.
On Monday, Romo released what looks like a farewell post on X: “Never know when your last snap is coming. 48 LH 15-20 MPH. Thank you Vikings. Might be back sooner than later … I will be available tomorrow at 4PM ET.”
An incoming release seems to be the suggestion, and adding the time indicates that he wants another team to acquire him sooner rather than later.
Romo was signed in March after a strong season in the XFL in 2023. He attended Central Arkansas, Tulsa, and Virginia Tech in his college career and has had a similarly eventful professional career with stints all over the place after going undrafted in 2022.
- New Orleans Saints (2022)
- San Antonio Brahmas (2023)
- Detroit Lions (2023)
- Chicago Bears (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
Despite wearing the merch of four different NFL teams, he still hasn’t attempted a kick in the league.
After college, the kicker had a stint in training camp with the Saints and joined the XFL franchise San Antonio Brahmas for the 2023 campaign, hitting 17 of 19 field goals, including a (since broken) league-record 57-yarder. Romo was named to the All-XFL team and pursued his NFL career. The Lions signed him in May 2023, but he was released after training camp on August 29. A six-week stint on Chicago’s practice squad was followed by five months of free agency.
Reichard has a much more glamorous resume as a five-year kicker at Alabama. He set the new all-time NCAA record for points scored last season with 547, hitting 295 of 297 extra points and 84 of 100 field goals. His consistency and leg strength have earned him a lot of praise throughout his short tenure with the Vikings.
On Saturday, reports surfaced that he logged a perfect practice with five makes, while Romo sent one of his four tries wide left.
Reichard’s teammate on the Vikings, but also in college, Dallas Turner, said two days after the draft: “They (the Vikings) got a cold-blooded sniper; that’s that man ‘Will Record.’ Will was my only kicker in college. That’s all I know. Will is definitely cold-blooded. He showed up every single time we needed him.”
The rookie will attempt his first in-game kicks in the looming preseason contest against the Las Vegas Raiders. It remains to be seen if Romo is still in the building when that game starts.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt