The Minnesota Vikings‘ special teams will be hampered in the coming weeks with All-Pro long snapper Andrew DePaola slated to undergo surgery for a hand injury that will require a “short-term” injured reserve stint, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced on Monday, November 4.
DePaola suffered the injury in the Vikings’ Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts on November 3. Kicker Will Reichard also underwent an MRI for a quad injury on Monday. O’Connell said they are “still in the process of evaluating” Reichard’s injury, per Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling.
With DePaola expected to be placed on injured reserve, he must sit out a minimum of four games before being reactivated, making his earliest return Week 14.
DePaola is coming off back-to-back Pro Bowl nods and was also named first-team All-Pro in 2022.
The Vikings are expected to bring in kickers and long snappers this week in preparation for missing DePaola and potentially Reichard.
Vikings K Will Reichard’s Streak Comes to an End
GettyKicker Will Reichard #16 of the Minnesota Vikings after missing a field goal during the second quarter against the Indianapolis Colts at U.S. Bank Stadium on November 03, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Drafted in the fifth round in April’s draft, Reichard was college football’s best kicker coming out of Alabama.
The analytical consensus is to never draft a kicker, but the Vikings bet on Reichard’s character as much as his performance to prove he’s an outlier.
Reichard proved that early in the season, converting all 14 of his field-goal tries through the first seven games of the season. He was 34-for-34 on all kicks.
However, Reichard, who tore his right quad in college, aggravated the same muscle during Week 9, leading to his first miss of the season.
Reichard missed wide right from 53 yards out in the first half, followed by a 31-yard doink off the post in the second half, which O’Connell called an “unacceptable” miss from that range in his postgame news conference.
O’Connell credited Reichard for toughing the game out on Monday.
More Pressure on Sam Darnold If Will Reichard Misses Time
GettySam Darnold #14 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings’ 21-13 win over the Colts was the full Sam Darnold experience.
The 27-year-old quarterback completed 28 of a season-high 34 pass attempts for an 82.4% completion rate (also a season-high) and 3 touchdowns.
However, Darnold also threw three interceptions that halted potential scoring drives. Along with Reichard’s misses, Darnold’s miscues made for an agonizing game where Minnesota should have put the Colts away by the third quarter.
O’Connell’s trust in Reichard was evident with the rookie kicker not missing a field goal from 50 or more yards before his miss while injured in Week 9.
If the Vikings have to roll with a replacement kicker, they likely will not have the same range as Reichard.
That puts the onus on Darnold to protect the ball and finish drives more frequently with the shakiness at kicker.
There’s also plenty on punter Nick Wright‘s plate this week. The Vikings’ holder on placekicks, Wright will have to develop chemistry quickly with the potential newcomer and with a new long snapper.
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