After suffering a quad injury on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, rookie kicker Will Reichard has been placed on injured reserve.
It’s a significant blow to the Vikings with how good Reichard has been since they selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 draft. He is currently 14 of 16 on field-goal attempts and 23 of 23 on extra-point attempts.
It’s still unclear how long Reichard will be out with the quad injury. He’s required to miss at least the next month while on injured reserve.
A source confirmed to the Pioneer Press on Tuesday afternoon that the Vikings are signing veteran kicker John Parker Romo as a replacement for Reichard in the short term.
There is familiarity in place as Romo signed with the Vikings during organized team activities before being waived during training camp.
It’s impressive that Reichard was able to finish the game between the Vikings and Indianapolis Colts considering he suffered the quad injury shortly after halftime.
After nailing an extra-point attempt to help the Vikings tie the score, Reichard came to the sideline and told special teams coordinator Matt Daniels that he felt his muscle tighten up. He pushed through the pain the rest of the way and was able to finish the game.
“That dude is tough as all get out,” Daniels said. “He managed to grind it out.”
As for Romo, he has yet to attempt a kick in the NFL despite spending time with the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Vikings. The most success he has had in his professional career so far came while playing for the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL.
Additionally, the Vikings placed long snapper Andrew DePaola, and they reportedly signed long snapper Jake McQuaide.