Bubble Trouble: Beloved Former Viking Could Be Cut
For about a month last season, kicker Parker Romo electrified Minnesota Vikings fans with his accuracy, strength, and clutch gene.
A beloved former Minnesota Vikings player finds himself on the roster bubble with his new team. Could a summer release be on the way for the one-time fan favorite?
Romo filled in for rookie Will Reichard when Reichard injured his quad, doing so admirably and enough to carve out a spot in fans’ hearts for years to come.
The replacement kicker later landed with the New England Patriots, where he’s currently participating in a summer kicking competition. And unfortunately for his sake, he is almost certain to lose the battle to 6th-Round draft pick, Andy Borregales.
Ex-Vikings Kicker Needs a Hail Mary to Avoid Roster Release
The Patriots are likely to roll with a rookie kicker over Parker Romo.
Parker Romo Unlikely to Win Camp Battle in New England
Patriots reporter Sophie Weller tweeted last week, “My initial thoughts: During OTAs and minicamp, it was clear that rookie K Andres Borregales was winning the kicking battle against Parker Romo. So, the Patriots could look to bring someone else in to give Borregales another challenge as he prepares for his first NFL season.”
While Romo has not struggled at training camp, Borregales might be crowned because of his 6th-Round draft stock three months ago.
SB Nation‘s Brian Hines noted last week Borregales as the primary kicker and opined on New England’s special team plan this offseason: “After retaining special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and assistant Tom Quinn, the Patriots got to work remodeling their specialists group this offseason. That started at kicker, as veteran Joey Slye departed in free agency after connecting on just 26 of 33 field goals attempts last season.”
“With Parker Romo remaining on the roster after joining the practice squad mid-season, New England then selected the first kicker in the draft taking Miami’s Andres Borregales in the sixth-round. The draft did not stop there, as the Patriots surprisingly took long snapper Julian Ashby one round later. That led to the release of long-time long snapper Joe Cardona, who was the last remaining member of the Patriots 2018 Super Bowl squad.”
The Rise of Andy Borregales
New England made Borregales the 182nd pick of this year’s draft, and when a team used draft capital on a kicker, well, that man is lined up to win the big job.
At the University of Miami, Borregales earned First-team All-ACC twice. He’s kicked well this summer.
By no fault of his own, mainly because of Borregales’ college profile, Romo faces a steep climb during the rest of training camp and in the preseason.
Then What for Romo?
If the theory comes to fruition — New England retains Borregales over Romo — Romo will hit free agency in late August after roster cutdowns. He’ll hope another team comes knocking — or he could possibly latch onto New England’s practice squad as insurance.
The criminal part? Romo deserves a starting audition in the pros. He performed that well for the Vikings.
Romo in Vikings Lore
Romo was the Vikings’ primary kicker from Week 10 to 13 after the aforementioned Reichard fell injured. The Patriot consistently connected, even representing as the only source of points in a dub over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Romo also hit a game-winning field goal against the Chicago Bears.
Much like the Borregales situation in New England, Minnesota promptly returned to Reichard for kicking duty when his quad healed. Romo was released.
Other Romo-Morregales Fodder
NESN’s Andrew Gould wrote about the Patriots’ kicker battle last month: “The New England Patriots will open their fourth consecutive season with a new kicker. John Parker Romo and rookie Andy Borregales entered camp as the team’s two kicking options. One appears to have the inside track on winning the offseason competition. MassLive’s Mark Daniels said it’d be ‘shocking’ if Borregales didn’t beat out Romo for the job.”
“Daniels noted that Borregales made 19 of 20 field-goal attempts during New England’s five open practices. On the other hand, Romo missed six of his 20 tries. New England made Borregales the first of two kickers drafted this year when selecting the Miami Hurricanes standout with the No. 182 pick. He made 18 of 19 field goals and all 62 extra-point tries during his senior season.”
Let’s just face it: New England won’t drop a kicker that it drafted a few months ago.
Gould added, “Including the Patriots, Romo has signed with five different NFL teams since joining the league as an undrafted free agent in 2022. However, he made his debut late in the 2024 season. Romo converted 11 of 12 field goals over four games with the Minnesota Vikings, including a 55-yarder in a 23-22 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. He made 18 of 22 field goals as a senior at Virginia Tech.”
Here’s to hoping: a) Romo scores the out-of-nowhere upset b) he finds a full-time kicking job in the NFL if New England kicks him out. He deserves it.
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