Vikings Swap Was a Sneaky Downgrade
The position is often an afterthought in the NFL landscape. Minnesota had one of the best punters in the league last season, but Ryan Wright left in free agency for the New Orleans Saints and took their massive contract offer.
Instead, the Vikings hired Johnny Hekker, a decorated player with All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors on his resume. Yet, at this stage of his career, it remains to be seen if his leg is still as dynamic as it once was.
Wright held the punting job for four years in the Twin Cities. The former undrafted rookie out of Tulane won the punting competition against Jordan Berry in his first training camp and never gave the position back, though the Vikings seemingly tried to find a low-cost upgrade and challenged him a couple of times.
After two inconsistent seasons in 2023 and 2024, Wright boosted his stock at the perfect time by delivering his best performance in 2025.
According to PFF, Wright sported a strong 81.3, ranking him 6th of 32 eligible punters. Of 32 punters with at least 25 punts in 2025, Wright ranked in the top 10 in average yards per punt, net average, punts inside the 20, hangtime and he also had the longest punt of the season (77 yards). Furthermore, he posted a low touchback rate and a high fair-catch percentage.
The Saints handed him a four-year, $14 million contract, averaging $3.5 million per season. That’s a top 5 contract at the position. Though he deserved a raise after his solid campaign, the Vikings decided against matching that offer and looked elsewhere for a replacement.
That brings us to Mr. Hekker, a four-time Pro Bowler and six-time All-Pro (first-team All-Pro four times). At 36, he has lost some of his magic. After spending his first ten NFL seasons with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles, he has been a journeyman since, with a three-year stop as a Carolina Panther from 2022 to 2024 and a one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans in 2025.
Hekker signed a one-year, $1,487,500 contract with the Vikings. Unfortunately, there’s a reason for the lower salary. The punter hasn’t been his old self recently.
Among the 32 punters with at least 25 punts, Hekker ranked 23rd in PFF grade, 20th in yards per punt and 25th in net average (with returns). He also had a high touchback rate and his hangtime ranked 21st.
All of these numbers suggest the Vikings got worse at the position. Last year, field position was crucial for the franchise, as the offense struggled to sustain long drives and the defense was the driving force all year long. Losing a few yards on a punt sounds trivial, but when the offensive struggle continues, losing those yards could be a serious problem.
It now remains to be seen whether Hekker’s leg is not what it used to be or if the Titans could cover or down his punts. The Vikings had a solid punting unit last year, which always helps the punter.
Another aspect to mention is that the Vikings lost Will Reichard’s holder. The kicker had a near-flawless sophomore season. The kicking operation includes long snapper Andrew DePaola, who has returned for another season in purple, and holder Wright.
Hekker needs to build that trust with Reichard. He is known as one of the best in the business, but it will take reps throughout the offseason to click.
It was reasonable not to match New Orleans’ contract offer for Wright, but there’s a good chance he’ll be missed in 2026 and beyond.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.