Will Reichard ‘has done an unbelievable job’ for the Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings waived John Parker Romo on July 29, leaving rookie Will Reichard as the only kicker on their training-camp roster. But the former Hoover High School and Alabama standout said he tried not to let the change in status affect his preparation for the 2024 NFL season.

“I’m not really thinking about that too much, to be honest with you,” Reichard said on Aug. 3. “I’m just trying to put my best foot forward and trying to find the best version of myself every day I come out here and trying to get 1 percent better every single day. Wherever that takes me, it sort of takes me. I’m just trying to find a way to be the best version of myself.”

Vikings special-team coordinator Matt Daniels said Minnesota had not intended to conclude its kicking competition so early in the preseason. But a need in the secondary led the Vikings to sign former Oxford High School standout Bobby McCain, and Minnesota waived Romo to create a roster spot for him.

“That was an unfortunate situation,” Daniels said. “We really, really wanted to continue to see John Parker Romo. I thought he was doing a great job. And, you know, Will did, too, because when he first came in here, he understood to know what he was up against. Like, the job just wasn’t going to just be given to him because he was a draft pick. He truly wanted to earn the right of his teammates, the respect of his teammates, and win the job. And we got to a point, obviously, where there were some roster changes that needed to happen. As a result, we kind of had to make that move.

“But Will has done an unbelievable job since he’s gotten here.”

Greg Joseph handled the Vikings’ kicking duties during the previous three seasons. In 2023, Joseph made 24-of-30 field-goal attempts and 36-of-38 extra-point tries. In March, he signed with the Green Bay Packers as a free agent.

Romo signed with Minnesota on March 13. The All-XFL kicker for the San Antonio Brahmas in 2023, he’s also been on the rosters of the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears without appearing in an NFL regular-season game.

Reichard joined Minnesota in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on April 27. In five seasons with the Crimson Tide, Reichard made 84-of-100 field-goal attempts and 295-of-297 extra-point tries as he scored an NCAA-record 547 points.

“He’s steady Eddie,” Daniels said of Reichard. “He’s a guy that really maintains a good, neutral mindset, and you truly never know when he’s in a good mood or when he’s in a bad mood. He can go perfect on a day, and he’s still just even keel. And it’s like, you know, ‘That was a good day.’ And he’ll tell you, like, ‘On a scale of 1 to 10, that was a 5.’ And it’s like, ‘Damn, you went perfect, and you hit every ball and went all the way back to 60.’ And he’s like, ‘No, that wasn’t good enough.’ And so he has expectations, and he has high standards for himself, and that’s really what you appreciate.

“And we’ve gone into discussions now that he is our kicker on what his season goals look like and what training-camp goals look like. And I have an idea of what it looks like. And he’s kind of telling me, like, ‘That’s not good enough.’ And, you know, I appreciate that. I really appreciate the edginess that he has and the mindset that he has. And that’s the reason why we drafted him is because of that mindset.”

Reichard said “a lot of kicking is mental.”

“A lot of people have ability, but it’s about what’s up here that really counts,” Reichard said while pointing to his head. “So just making sure that’s sharp.”

Reichard will get his first opportunity to kick in a Minnesota uniform in the Vikings’ preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at 3 p.m. CDT Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. NFL Network will televise the game.

“I think this is a great spot,” Reichard said. “Obviously landed myself in a great, great group of guys. … Everyone in the building has been awesome, so super glad I ended up here, for sure.”

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.