The Minnesota Vikings‘ special teams unit had quite the year.
Kicker Will Reichard went 33/35 on field goals this season, a 94.3% mark. Reichard also went 100% on kicks that avoided a camera wire. This stellar season earned the kicker an All-Pro First-Team nomination.
Joining Reichard on the All-Pro nomination is long snapper Andrew Depaola. Depaola earned Second-Team honors, notching his fourth consecutive All-Pro nomination.
Punter Ryan Wright also had a solid season. He didn’t win All-Pro honors, but he still brings stability to his role in the Vikings’ special teams unit. For that Minnesota will look to extend his expiring deal this offseason.
Fortunately for them, Wright would love to stay home.
Vikings’ Ryan Wright Wants to Return to the Vikings in 2026
GettyINGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 23: Ryan Wright #17 of the Minnesota Vikings looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on October 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
PurplePTSD’s Kyle Joudry had the words of Ryan Wright. The report came from an interview Joudry did with the man himself for VikingsTerritory in December.
“I love Minnesota. Treated me and my family very well and would love to have an opportunity to come back.”
Joudry also went on to give some context as to what kind of market Wright would demand in the 2026 free agency market.
“At the top end of the punter market is Michael Dickson, who commands a touch above $4 million per season. There’s then Logan Cooke coming in at a cool $4 million per season. Otherwise, there aren’t any others so high.
There’s then a cluster of eight punters who hit or surpass an average of $3 million per season. In all likelihood, Mr. Wright is going to see his deal fit somewhere within this range, a nice pay bump from the $1.75 million from 2025.”
The Vikings should look to keep Wright, given his big leg and proven ability to pin teams deep.
Kevin O’Connell Should Take Bills’ Firing of Sean McDermott as a Warning
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – JANUARY 04: Head coach Kevin O’Connell of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Early on Monday, the Bills shocked the NFL landscape by parting ways with head coach Sean McDermott. The firing came two days after Buffalo was ousted from the playoffs by the Denver Broncos.
The Bills have been a constant contender with McDermott at the helm. Unfortunately for the Bills, they came up in the era of Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo boasted an 0-4 record against Patrick Mahomes in the Allen-McDermott era.
If head coaches of this stature are getting let go, along with the likes of John Harbaugh and Mike Tomlin, what does the future spell for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell?
Kevin O’Connell is heading into year 5 as Vikings’ head coach, and has no playoff wins to show for it. Of course, this doesn’t mean he’s a bad head coach. However, Sean McDermott has won a playoff game with the Bills in each of the last six seasons.
O’Connell has two playoff appearances under his belt, both losses to the Giants and Rams. Your welcome becomes out-stayed much quicker when you aren’t appearing to the dance consistently, especially without a date.
This isn’t to say Kevin O’Connell is on the hot seat, or that the Vikings run their organization like the Bills. However, seeing that a legitimate contender of the 2020’s in firing a good head coach and promoting the general manager that didn’t build a great roster (sound familiar?), everything is on the table on the NFL.
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