Longtime Viking Leaves Out of Nowhere

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Longtime Viking Leaves Out of Nowhere

Longtime Viking Leaves Out of Nowhere — Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph (1) celebrates with punter Ryan Wright (14) after converting a fourth-quarter field goal at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with the moment occurring on Dec. 10, 2023 during Minnesota's tight matchup against the Raiders. The sideline celebration followed Joseph's 36-yard kick late in the contest moments earlier. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

Dustin Baker · Vikings Territory

Mon, Mar 9, 2026 ·

4 min read

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For months, it seemed like a no-brainer that punter Ryan Wright would return to the Minnesota Vikings , but that theory was a myth. Out of nowhere, Wright departed the franchise on Monday, choosing the New Orleans Saints as his next employer.

The move came fast, and now the Vikings have a special teams opening.

"Punter news" rarely registers on the Richter scale, but this one is a bit odd, as kicker Will Reichard loses his holder.

Minnesota Must Rework the Punter Plan Quickly

Say goodbye to the punter,

Ryan Wright during Vikings vs. Rams NFC Wild Card game at State Farm Stadium. Ryan Wright Vikings — Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright (17) appears during NFC Wild Card action against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with the moment captured on Jan. 13, 2025 as Minnesota's special teams unit handled postseason duties during the playoff matchup. Wright stands ready along the sideline during the NFC postseason contest. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Wright to the Saints

Wright lasted four seasons in Minnesota, signed as a rookie at the top of the Kevin O'Connell era. That's a wrap for his career as a Viking.

ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted Monday , amid a total free agency bonanza, "Another big punter deal: Former Vikings punter Ryan Wright is signing a four-year, $14 million deal that includes $8 million guaranteed with the Saints, per source."

In seventeen games last year, Wright punted 65 times for 3,184 total yards, averaging a career-high 49.0 yards per punt, which ranked fourth in the league. Minnesota's net average was 44.5 yards per punt. Wright's longest punt traveled 77 yards..

Beyond distance, Wright also demonstrated precision, pinning 25 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Despite the length of his kicks, only three resulted in touchbacks, a testament to his accuracy.

In short, Wright punted magnificently in 2022 as a rookie, struggled in 2023 and 2024, and regained his top-tier form in 2025. It's not the best time to lose him.

Louisiana Sports ' Ross Jackson noted on the Wright signing , "There's a new punter in town as the New Orleans Saints finally invest in the position after years of trying to find diamonds through undrafted free agency. Since Thomas Morstead 's departure following the 2020 season, the Saints have had a carousel at the position."

"Over the five years since the split, New Orleans has had four starting punters and endless training camp competition at the position. Looking at the numbers, Wright is in a completely different class of punter than that which the Saints have been dealing with over recent years."

Vikings Suddenly Need a Punter

All of a sudden, the Vikings need a punter. Free agency might provide a veteran like Tommy Townsend , Matt Araiza , or Brandley Pinion, to name a few. Otherwise, the draft will feature men like this, or more realistically, undrafted free agency after the draft:

Ryan Eckley — Michigan State
Tommy Doman — Florida
Jack Stonehouse — Syracuse
Brett Thorson — Georgia
Tyler White — Texas A&M
Tyler Perkins — Iowa State
Ross James — Oregon

An undrafted rookie punter, James Burnip, from 2025, is also available, and he held kicks for Reichard at Alabama .

The Holding Angle

The bigger news, indeed, may be the holding aspect. Reichard turned into the NFL's best kicker in 2025, and Vikings fans cherished that development because the franchise is so damn snakebitten by nefarious kicking shenanigans. Wright's holding represented stability, and at least for a while, Minnesota is back to square one at the holder position.

Will Reichard celebrates with Ryan Wright after a field goal during Vikings vs. Packers game at Lambeau Field. Ryan Wright Vikings — Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard (16) reacts with punter Ryan Wright (17) after a made field goal during first-half action against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, with the celebration occurring on Nov. 23, 2025 during the divisional matchup. The Vikings specialists gather after the successful kick. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images.

It certainly isn't the end of the world, but the Vikings must identify a new holder and get the man working with Reichard in Eagan as soon as May or June.

Minnesota has a good thing going in Reichard-Wright on field goals and extra points. That's over.

Vikings to See Him in 2026

Interestingly, fans will see Wright in 2026 — as an opponent. Minnesota will take on New Orleans at the Caesars Superdome or perhaps Paris if the club is tapped on the shoulder again for international duty.

Back in December, Wright said about his background, speaking to VikingsTerritory : "I think after my junior season, I got that ranking as a quarterback from 247 Sports . And we actually got in touch with them, because I was also, or I should be ranked as a punter, as well. But they weren't doing it like that, they were only doing it, 'okay, you can either be a quarterback or a punter."

"Or we can put you in the athlete category.' But that doesn't really work, either. So I think after my junior season I decided I just wanted to be a punter on there so I could get recruited by colleges as a punter and kind of gave up that quarterback dream pretty early. I still did it my senior year, but I definitely focused a little bit more on punting."

Ryan Wright warms up before Vikings vs. Bears game at Soldier Field. Ryan Wright Vikings — Minnesota Vikings punter Ryan Wright (17) warms up on the field before kickoff against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field in Chicago, with the pregame routine unfolding on Nov. 24, 2024 as Minnesota prepared for the NFC North matchup. Wright practices punts and timing ahead of the divisional game. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images.

Wright now takes that story to New Orleans.

Finally, Vikings fans hate the Saints, harboring a longstanding grudge since the BountyGate scanda l in 2009. Wright is now the enemy.

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