Vikings fans haven’t had to think much about misses with Will Reichard.
Still, every Vikings fan remembers the misses. There have been a few wide left, wide right and just misses in Minnesota Vikings kicking history. Although the misses have been few, their impact has been acutely felt by fans for years. No one will ever forget Gary Anderson going a perfect 35-for-35 in 1998 only to miss against the Atlanta Falcons with the Super Bowl on the line. Some fans regard the history as a curse.
Blair Walsh certainly wasn’t the answer after five years. Daniel Carlson got canned by Mike Zimmer faster than his head could spin, although he has since gone on to have a productive career. The plethora of veterans to shuttle through the special teams room since haven’t had much staying power either.
While there is plenty to be disappointed about when it comes to how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah handled draft picks, few outcomes are better than using a sixth round pick on Will Reichard. The Alabama product was the best kicker in college football prior to being selected, and he hasn’t slowed down since joining the Minnesota Vikings.
Will Reichard’s performance this season
Only the Indianapolis Colts’ (who happen to be the Minnesota Vikings next opponent) Spencer Shrader has made more field goals than Reichard this year. On long yards, Shrader is a perfect 6/6 from 50-59 yards, while Will Reichard has nailed all five of his attempts. The Vikings have relied on Reichard’s leg plenty as the offense has struggled to take shape.
Kyler Murray had something of a coming out party on Sunday against the New Orleans Saints, but Will Reichard still got plenty of work in; nailing three field goals, including an impressive hit from 55 yards out. Through his first 35 professional games in the NFL, Reichard has made 90% of his field goal kicks and never missed an extra point. That is impressive consistency.
Moving into the weeks after the bye, the Vikings will need to continue gelling offensively in a way that doesn’t put so much pressure on their special teams. Even so, it hasn’t ever seemed like Reichard can’t handle the load, and he’s quickly emerged as arguably the best kicker in the league.
For a franchise that has seen so many things go sideways, figuratively and literally, from the foot of a special teams player, Will Reichard’s emergence has been nothing short of exceptional and his weekly accolades are well-deserved.
Will Reichard’s full stats this season: 1-1 on 20-29 yards, 4-4 on 30-39 yards, 5-5 on 40-49 yards, 5-5 on 50-59 yards. Reichard was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 4 following his performance against the Miami Dolphins. In that contest, Reichard nailed all five field goals he attempted for a 15-10 victory. In 2025, Reichard was named First-Team All-Pro after finishing the season 33-35 on field goals and posting a perfect record on extra point attempts.
What do you think, Vikings fans? What is your assessment of Will Reichard’s performance with the Minnesota Vikings? Has he reversed the curse? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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