Outgoing Vikings Player Will Earn Folklore Status
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports.
Even though he missed a field goal and an extra point, Minnesota Vikings fans will remember kicker Parker Romo with positive thoughts.
Outgoing Vikings Player Will Earn Folklore Status
Romo has served as the Vikingsā primary kicker in the last four games after the usual placeholder, Will Reichard, hit injured reserve with a quad ailment. Heās delivered every step of the way, acting as the only scoring source in a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars a few weeks ago and nailing a game-winning field goal at Chicago in Week 12.
Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images.
But with Reichardās return imminent ā he could be back this Sunday or the following week ā Romo will likely hit the waiver wire. Another team will probably scoop Romo, as his audition for the world in Minnesota has done wonders for his career trajectory.
Thereafter, no matter Romoās eventual destination ā so long as itās not an NFC North team ā fans will recall Romoās dependability. Ordinarily, a kicker holding down the fort for an NFL team is āno big deal.ā However, Minnesota has been notoriously snakebitten by kicker tomfoolery in the last three decades, so when Romo showed up and drilled kicks with ease, he pleasantly surprised onlookers.
Minnesota Vikings place kicker John Parker Romo (96) reacts to his good field goal against the Tennessee Titans during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.
Vikings fans already enjoy tracking former Vikings players ā Romoās next chapter(s) will be supersized with intrigue. Think of it this way: outside of the Ryan Longwell era, fans have chanted for a reliable kicker since the late 1990s. Now, Minnesota has two, and NFL teams rarely employ multiple kickers.
Romo will be the odd man out when Reichard is green-lighted, and all Vikings enthusiasts can do is cheer Romo on from afar.
New Minnesota Vikings Kicker Parker Romo on November 10th, 2024, after helping Minnesota defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road by a score of 12-7. Romo joined Minnesota in March but lost a kicking battle to rookie Will Reichard during the summer of 2024. But he rejoined the team in November when Reichard injured his quad.
Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said about Romo this week, āHe maximized this opportunity, and surely enough, it is going to propel his career forward. I truly know that. The way this kicker thing is going this year, surely enough, if heās not with us, heās gonna be somewhere, for sure. Hopefully heās not playing against us.ā
Romo has hit 11 field goals in 12 tries and even connected from 55 yards away during Minnesotaās Week 13 dub over the Arizona Cardinals last weekend. Heāll get a job soon if Minnesota is forced to cut him loose.
Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Daniels said about Reichard and long snapper Andrew DePaola, who hit injured reserve the same week as Reichard: āThey had a session this morning. It went really, really well, and so weāll see we can have another session here, coming up in a couple days. Hopefully those guys are good to go, and if they are, then hopefully we have them back. But right now, itās kind of up in the air.ā
Romo, an ex-XFLer, will turn 28 next summer.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, āThe Sopranos,ā Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.Ā
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