Parker Romo Finds New Home
After years of having a problematic kicking game, the Vikings might have finally found a decent kicker when they selected Will Reichard in the sixth round of the latest draft. A few weeks earlier, the club also signed former XFL kicker Parker Romo, who was advertised to arrive in the Twin Cities with a huge leg.
Parker Romo Finds New Home
It turned out that not only Reichard was good, but Romo could kick, too.
The draft choice won the kicking competition in the summer and remained flawless throughout the first seven games of the season before an injury derailed his perfection. His quad injury landed him on IR, and the Vikings re-signed Romo to replace him for at least those four weeks.
Reichard made his comeback against the Falcons, and the franchise had to say goodbye to Romo after only four games. Teams simply don’t have two kickers on the 53-man roster, and the reserve deserves to seek an opportunity somewhere else.
On Tuesday, reports surfaced that the Patriots would sign him to the practice squad. Mike Garafolo tweeted: “The Patriots are expected to sign K John Parker Romo to the practice squad, one day after he cleared waivers from the Vikings, sources say. Romo went 11-for-12 on field-goal attempts for Minnesota while Will Reichard was injured. Latches on quickly in New England.”
Romo arrived in the Twin Cities simultaneously with new long snapper Jake McQuaide, as two-time Pro Bowler Andrew DePaola joined Reichard on IR because of a hand injury.
It was quite concerning to see two-thirds of the kicking operation be replaced. When the games started, though, those concerns quickly diminished. Romo scored all of his team’s 12 points in his NFL debut. He then nailed a game-winner against the Bears.
Through the four contests, the kicker hit 11 of his 12 field goal attempts and seven of eight extra points. His longest kick was a 55-yarder, which is quite impressive.
Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said about Romo last week, “He maximized this opportunity, and surely enough, it is going to propel his career forward. I truly know that. The way this kicker thing is going this year, surely enough, if he’s not with us, he’s gonna be somewhere, for sure. Hopefully, he’s not playing against us.”
The Patriots employ veteran kicker Joey Slye, who has already played for the Panthers, Texans, 49ers, Commanders, and now the Patriots. In the 2024 campaign, he has struggled, hitting only 22 of 28 field goal tries and 17 of 18 extra points. Perhaps the most concerning element is that he just failed to convert a 25-yarder in a one-point loss against the Colts before their bye week.
Romo can immediately compete with Slye. He surely didn’t sign with the Patriots to stay on the practice squad, and one more Slye mishap could be enough to make a change.
The kicker will remain a folklorish figure in Minnesota. His legacy is cemented unless there is a third stint.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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