The Minnesota Vikings have seen kickers cause heartbreak since Gary Anderson’s miss in the 1998 NFC Championship game. Since then, many different legs have played through. There have been descriptions like “far left” and “far right.” However, Alabama rookie Will Reichard might be ready to overcome it all.

Will Reichard caps off great preseason for Minnesota Vikings

Greg Joseph kicked for the Minnesota Vikings the last three seasons. Kevin O’Connell and Matt Daniels decided to move on in the offseason after Joseph made only 80% of his field goals last year. John Parker Romo thought he would get a tryout, but Will Reichard got the job after being selected in the 6th round of the NFL Draft.

The Vikings gave Reichard plenty of opportunities this preseason and he took advantage of them all. The Alabama product made 7 of 8 field goals for 57 yards. He also converted each of his eight extra points. Head coach Kevin O’Connell was very pleased with what he saw.

. @willreichard makes it look easy 👀 pic.twitter.com/iPwjBcT5OA

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) 24 August 2024

“He goes out there and makes a 50-yard shot like it’s nothing. I’m trying to remember the last time he missed a shot. He’s extremely consistent. We’ve put him in different situations throughout training camp… in those moments he’s responded.”

Kevin O’Connell on Will Reichard’s performance

.@Vikings K Will Reichard scores a 57-yard field goal 💪

📱: Stream #MINvsPHI To #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1koyIp258o

— NFL (@NFL) 24 August 2024

See also: Vikings kicker Will Reichard shows perfection again

It’s been a while since the Vikings have felt this good about their kicking situation, and let’s hope it stays that way when the games count.

Can Will Reichard be the Vikings’ next mainstay?

That miss wasn’t the defining moment of Gary Anderson’s career, although it did ruin his otherwise perfect season. In the years since, however, Minnesota has replaced kickers at a breakneck pace. Mike Zimmer got rid of the best kicker they ever had just two games into Daniel Carlson’s rookie season. Las Vegas has now signed Carlson for a seventh season. Minnesota is still looking for that consistency.

The Vikings have gone through a number of prospects since Anderson, and the list includes some stunning names:

• Doug Brien (2002) – Made only 71.4% of its extra points when kicked from the 2-yard line.
• Aaron Elling (2003-04) – Only converted 72% of his field goals.
• Peter Jackson (2004) – Played against the Vikings in 1998, also a Hall of Famer.
• Paul Edinger (2005) – Edinger was quite far from what Andersen brought to the table.
• Ryan Longwell (2006-2011) – The former Packers kicker brought stability back and also helped sign Brett Favre.
• Blair Walsh (2012-16) – Another long run, but Walsh never got past the miss against the Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium.
• Kai Forbath (2016–17) – The farther he kicked, the better. Forbath was a mess from extra point range.
• Daniel Carlson (2018) – Let’s leave this one alone…
• Dan Bailey (2018-20) – Bailey was signed as one of the most accurate kickers in history, but missed four kicks in a game against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers.
• Greg Joseph (2021-23) – The man who is now causing trouble for the Packers was in Minnesota for three seasons.

As you can see, the list of failures is long. In more than two decades, the Vikings have only twice had a kicker last more than three seasons. After spending draft capital on Reichard, they will of course hope he can break that ugly trend.

Related Topics: Former Vikings kicker was terrible for the Packers in ugly training camp battle

The better Minnesota can kick this season, the more Sam Darnold will benefit from a certain level of comfort in the red zone.

Mentioned in this article: Will Reichard

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