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PK Will Reichard is on track for a spectacular season, perhaps the best ever by a kicker
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- PK Will Reichard is on track for a spectacular season, perhaps the best ever by a kicker
There are still those who will diminish the accomplishments of kickers in the NFL and attempt to say they are not real football players. They are specialists who may decide the outcome of more games than any other single position.
The Minnesota Vikings have an elite placekicker, perhaps the best in the NFL. Will Reichard is the security blanket for head coach Kevin O'Connell. He knows that if the Vikings reach their opponents' side of the field, they have a legitimate shot at three points.
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Reichard won All-Pro honors last year as he scored 130 points, making 33 of 35 FG attempts and all 31 of his extra point attempts. He did not miss any attempt inside 50 yards. He attempted 13 field goals from 50 yards and beyond and he made 11 of them. Even the best kickers will shank one or two per season, but Reichard does not make those kinds of mistakes.
Through the first five games of the season, it has been more of the same for Reichard. He has made all 15 of his FG attempts and he is 8 of 8 on points after touchdowns. He is 5 of 5 on 50-plus yard field goals this season with a long of 56 yards.
Tracking down Justin Tucker
He could be on track to compete with Justin Tucker's 2016 season with the Baltimore Ravens. That was Tucker's most remarkable season as he made 38 of 39 FG attempts and 27 extra point attempts.
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Tucker made all 10 of his attempts that season from 50 yards and beyond. His only miss came on a 34-yard attempt against the New England Patriots, but he did not flub the attempt. His kick was blocked by Shea McClellin, and it came in a late-season game the Ravens lost by a 30-23 margin.
Vikings fans of a certain age certainly remember the season of near-perfection that Gary Anderson had in 1998. He made all 35 of his FG attempts and he was 59 of 59 on extra points. It was a storybook season that was designed to end up with the Vikings going to the Super Bowl.
After winning 15 of 16 regular-season games and a divisional playoff game against the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings had a home game against the Atlanta Falcons to decide the NFC championship.
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The Vikings had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but when they had a chance to clinch the victory with a 38-yard field goal with just over 2 minutes remaining, Anderson's FG attempt veered off course. It was his only miss of the year.
That allowed the Falcons to tie the score with 49 seconds remaining. They would win the game in overtime on a 38-yard field goal by future Hall of Famer Morten Andersen. It was a nightmarish finish for the Vikings' kicker and the team.
Reichard may have a chance to beat that season and perhaps even come close to Tucker's 2016 performance.
This story was originally published by Athlon on Oct 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
