Kevin O’Connell coached the Minnesota Vikings to an important win on Sunday Night Football, over the weekend. For the second-straight week, though, it’s an injury that is taking center stage.
Will Reichard isn’t expected to be out for the season like Christian Darrisaw, but the Vikings’ rookie kicker will miss at least four games, after it was announced he is heading to injured reserve on Tuesday afternoon.
John Parker Romo back for the Minnesota Vikings
That means the Vikings will deploy a different kicker on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. That kicker, as it turns out, will be John Parker Romo. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because is. Romo was in camp with the Minnesota Vikings this summer.
Unfortunately for the former UDFA, he never truly got a chance to show his abilities because Reichard beat him out before he ever got a chance to compete. Romo wasn’t thrilled with that, but now is his chance to prove he is capable.
#Vikings K Will Reichard, one of the NFL’s best, is headed to IR. https://t.co/rDnvSDDDqZ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 5, 2024
John Parker Romo has never kicked in a regular season game. He very clearly wanted the opportunity though, and now he’ll get it with the last team to give him a chance. It’s good that the two sides seem to have ended things amicably, and that allows the former Virginia Tech kicker an opportunity to audition for a future role.
Hopefully Will Reichard gets well soon…
Reichard had been perfect, prior to being injured on Sunday against the Colts, where he missed his first two kicks of the game. Parker Romo was 18-of-22 in his final collegiate season though, and he may find himself parlaying this deal into a long term pact with another team.
It’s unfortunate that Reichard is headed to injured reserve. He has dealt with quad issues in during college, and the hope would be that this isn’t a long-term issue. If nothing else though, O’Connell has to feel comfortable working with a guy he saw practice for him this summer.
The Vikings originally brought Parke HTMLr Romo in after his big leg was shown off in the XFL. It probably would be beneficial for everyone that Sunday’s game doesn’t come down to a kick, but the implications there would be massive.
I’d guess this time around Parker Romo won’t have any hard feelings. He knows he’s a hired gun, and he gets to show off what he’s made of in the process.