The Minnesota Vikings’ special teams will face challenges in the upcoming weeks as All-Pro long snapper is set to have surgery for a hand injury, which will put him on short-term injured reserve, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on November 4. He sustained the injury during the Vikings’ Week 9 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Additionally, kicker Will Reichard had an MRI on Monday for a quad injury, and O’Connell mentioned they are still assessing Reichard’s condition, according to Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling
With star player likely headed to injured reserve, he will be required to miss at least four games before he can be reactivated, which means he could return as early as Week 14. DePaola has earned Pro Bowl honors in the past two seasons and was named first-team All-Pro in 2022. The Vikings are planning to sign kickers and long snappers this week to cover for both DePaola and possibly Reichard.
Vikings K Will Reichard’s Streak Comes to an End
Drafted in the fifth round of April’s draft, Reichard was the top kicker in college football from Alabama. Although the general consensus is to avoid drafting kickers, the Vikings took a chance on Reichard, valuing both his character and performance as an exception to the rule.
He showcased his talent early in the season, making all 14 of his field-goal attempts through the first seven games, finishing 34-for-34 on all kicks. However, Reichard, who previously tore his right quad in college, aggravated that same muscle during Week 9, resulting in his first miss of the season.
In that game, he missed a 53-yard attempt wide right in the first half, and later hit the post on a 31-yard attempt in the second half. Head coach O’Connell described the latter miss as “unacceptable” for that distance during his postgame remarks but acknowledged Reichard’s effort in playing through the injury.
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