Contract Details for Vikings’ New Punter Revealed
This offseason the Minnesota Vikings went through a significant amount of turnover. It started at the top when general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was kicked to the curb . The quarterback position has been rejuvenated with the addition of Kyler Murray , and James Pierre has joined the cornerback ranks .
Special teams was something of a mainstay over the past couple of seasons for Kevin O’Connell’s team. Matt Daniels has led the group for the past five seasons , and he has watched Will Reichard, Ryan Wright, and Andrew DePaola work in lockstep.
That took a hit when Wright opted to sign a four-year deal with the New Orleans Saints. Minnesota was forced to pivot and brought in veteran punter Johnny Hekker. Now we know what the details behind the dollars look like too.
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Johnny Hekker MN Vikings contract revealed
This will be Johnny Hekker’s 15th season in the National Football League. The Oregon State product is now 36 years old and is hardly the All-Pro he was earlier in his career, but the Minnesota Vikings aren’t going to complain about a league-minimum deal.
For a six-year period from 2013 through 2018, Hekker was a perennial All-Pro selection. He made first team four times, and on the second team in the other two seasons. Unfortunately the numbers took quite a tumble with the Titans last season.
In 17 games with Tennessee , Hekker allowed 370 return yards and had a net punt average of just 40.3 yards. His seven touchbacks were a career-high, and he landed just 22 inside the 20. Now this far into his career, it’s possible he could simply be cooked.
Fortunately for Minnesota, they aren’t on the hook for much of anything. At just a $1.26 million cap hit, he’s well below the $2 million that Wright earned last year . The Minnesota Vikings were never going to touch the $8 million guaranteed that their former punter got. Although Wright had a strong year last season, he was constantly challenged with competition during training camp.
The Vikings will be hoping that Hekker can find a younger version of himself this season. Beyond punting though, his holding acumen for Will Reichard could be the most impactful aspect of the addition to watch.
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