Do 2 Punters for Vikings Mean No Punters?
One thing the Minnesota Vikings absolutely cannot afford to do is punt on their 2024 season. With Sam Darnold under center and eyes on bringing J.J. McCarthy along, they simply can’t tank for a draft pick. Kicking news is never sexy, but does the Vikings employing two punters currently mean they may not have one in either?
Do 2 Punters for Vikings Mean No Punters?
Unsigned as a rookie, Ryan Wright joined the Minnesota Vikings and was considered an asset during his first season. He bombed kicks over 47 yards per try, and his 42.3-yard net average suggested a fair amount of hangtime for his team to cover. He also had just one touchback, and 43% of his punts were downed within the 20-yard line.
Fast forward to last season, and Wright couldn’t have been more wrong. He upped his per-punt average but decreased the net yards. He wasn’t giving his team time to cover, and he put seven kicks into the end zone. Losing nearly 15% of his punts within the 20-yard line, he also routinely failed to pin the opposition deep.
This all resulted in the Vikings deciding they needed to question whether he should remain rostered going forward. Seth Vernon was signed following the draft and has apparently looked good in limited action.
Star Tribune’s Andrew Krammer said last month on Access Vikings, “Matt Daniels is talking about how there was a big sophomore slump for Ryan Wright. That’s why they bring in this new punter. And that new punter, he’s got a boot.” Kramer went on to say, “He has been nailing it. And Ryan Wright hasn’t looked good in some of the open practices. So punter news.”
None of that suggests that Wright is in the clear and heading into training camp, but he may be behind in the competition. As our own Dustin Baker pointed out, the punter position remains among the key roster battles when the summer activities kick off, and it may not be decided until just before the season.
Minnesota is already going into the season with a new kicker after drafting Will Reichard. There’s a real possibility the entire special teams kicking unit is changed over this year, and that’s a pretty sizable shakeup.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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