Sports
One Vikings Player Is Quietly Cashing In
The Minnesota Vikings were only sparingly represented on the All-Pro teams following the disappointing 9-8 campaign, which was virtually over by Thanksgiving. Long snapper Andrew DePaola landed another second-team honor, while kicker Will Reichard was recognized as the league’s premier kicker.
Accordingly, he’ll be in line for a massive payday once his rookie contract is set to expire. In fact, though he’s signed for two more seasons, he’ll be eligible for a contract extension next offseason.
In the past, kickers were afterthoughts on the payroll, but they make some serious cash nowadays. The Steelers and the Cowboys recently rewarded two of the NFL’s best with lucrative extensions.
Brandon Aubrey, who has been a real asset for the Cowboys in recent years, reset the kicker market last month, signing a four-year, $28 million contract. He snatched the NFC Pro Bowl honors from Reichard.
This week, Chris Boswell of the Pittsburgh Steelers matched Aubrey’s salary. He’s one of the very best in his own right.
ESPN wrote about the veteran, “In 2024, he was selected as first-team All-Pro after leading the NFL with 41 made field goals. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl for the second time with the Steelers, whom he has been kicking for since 2015. He has had at least a 90% success rate on field goals in seven of his 11 seasons in Pittsburgh. He also has never missed a postseason field goal attempt, going 19-for-19.”
As one of the most consistent kickers in the game, he should be at or near the top of the salary hierarchy. He is, however, 35 years old and it remains to be seen how much longer he can keep that pace. Aubrey just turned 31. That brings us to Reichard, who has that major advantage over both of those guys, as he turned 25 in January.
After years of subpar kicking performances in the Twin Cities, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent a sixth-round pick in 2024 to acquire Alabama’s Reichard, the NCAA all-time leader in points, which was likely his best move.
He quickly established himself as a sure option to end drives, but an injury forced him out for four games in his rookie season. Unfortunately, his momentum disappeared for the remainder of the year. Reichard bounced back in 2025 and was arguably the best Viking throughout the season.
The sophomore drilled 33 of 35 field goal attempts, as well as all 31 extra points. His misses sparked controversy over whether he might have hit the wires or not. Only Eddy Pineiro and Nick Folk finished the season with a higher field-goal percentage (both 96.6%; 28/29). Pineiro missed four extra points, while Folk was perfect from that range, but only attempted 22 such kicks.
Early in the 2025 campaign, head coach Kevin O’Connell said about his elite kicker, “I mean, you guys saw it, to hit it [from] 62 [yards], darn near halfway up the net is something else. And I got so much confidence in Will [Reichard], it’s almost dangerous.”
In 2025, Reichard set the franchise-best 11 field goals made from over 50 yards. That mark was tied for the best in the league. He also scored the longest field goal in franchise history from 61 and he has made six of the seven longest. He’s been a true game-changer for the Vikings.
If Reichard can once again place himself as one of the league’s top placekickers in the upcoming season, he’ll make a lot of money next year. In a prime position to reset the market, the Vikings should budget for his extension in the neighborhood of $8 million per season.
His incoming raise is a good problem to have.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.
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