Vikings Could Be Without 2 Specialists for a While
The Minnesota Vikings clinched their victory over the Indianapolis Colts late in the fourth quarter with a passing touchdown to tight end Josh Oliver. It was a bounceback game for the defense after a couple of games with 30 and 31 points allowed, and despite some self-inflicted wounds, climbing to 6-2 in the standings was a major step toward the playoffs.
Vikings Could Be Without 2 Specialists for a While
However, one of the problems emerging from Sunday’s contest was the injury bug that hit the specialist room quite hard. The Vikings are expected to replace kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Andrew DePaola in the near future until they have recovered from their respective injuries.
A day after the game, on Monday, head coach Kevin O’Connell gave a vague but telling update on his rookie kicker: “Will Reichard, we’re still in the process of evaluating that quad injury, and I’ll keep you guys posted as we kind of solidify a timeline there and if we’re going to need to possibly bring in some kickers to potentially take a look at.”
Reichard had experienced a stellar rookie season entering Week 9, hitting all 14 field goals and 20 extra points. In Week 9, however, he missed a pair of field goals, including a normally inexcusable 31-yarder. Having a quad injury is an excuse, though.
Minnesota’s kicking operation has gone more smoothly than usual, which is why his potential absence is a huge disappointment. Halfway through the season, some teams have already experienced some injury issues at the position, and numerous kickers have already been placed on IR. There aren’t any reliable options on the market, so if Reichard is indeed forced to miss time, the pre-Reichard anxiety of Vikings fans on any given kick will make a return.
It remains to be seen whether the Vikings would keep Reichard on the 53-man roster or stash him on IR, ruling him out for four games. Since teams are stingy with their roster spots, opening one by placing him on IR is likely if he is set to miss multiple games, regardless.
Another big part of the special teams operation is DePaola, the long snapper. Unfortunately, a stint on IR should be expected for him. He suffered a hand injury on Sunday.
O’Connell also talked about his status: “Andrew DePaola had a hand injury that will require a procedure, and to allow that thing to heal up, probably, is looking like a short-term IR candidate, which we will need to potentially have a long snapper in the building.”
Asked whether one of the remaining players could take over the long snapping duties, O’Connell said that they want something “more sustainable.”
Long snappers are specialized players, and there are emergency backups who could do a decent job, but for longer stretches like a four-game IR stint, the club needs a more reliable alternative.
DePaola went to Pro Bowls in 2022 and 2023 and was a first-team All-Pro in 2022 and second-team All-Pro in 2023, so it’s also not easy to replace him.
Nothing suggests that either DePaola or Reichard have sustained season-ending injuries, but both should be expected to miss some time. There is a reasonable risk that the updated operation with a new kicker and long snapper will be problematic as it takes countless reps to optimize the process.
The one remaining specialist is punter and holder Ryan Wright.
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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