Free-agent kicker Greg Joseph will sign his restricted tender and return to the Minnesota Vikings for the 2022 NFL season.
There weren’t a lot of bright spots from the 2022 season for the Minnesota Vikings. Struggles on offense and defense led to the team missing the playoffs once again. However, there were some bright spots that fans can take some pride in.
One of the highlights was kicker Greg Joseph. He connected on 86.8 percent of his field goal tries in his first year with Minnesota while connecting on 90 percent of his extra-point tries and getting on touchback on 80.9 percent of his kickoffs (NFL best).
Joseph’s one-year deal ended but the Vikings want to keep him around. They issued a restricted free agent tender on the kicker worth $2.43M. It is being reported on Twitter by Brett Tessler, Joseph’s agent, that he will be signing the tender.
My client Greg Joseph is signing his 1-year restricted free agent tender and looks forward to kicking with the Minnesota Vikings again in 2022. Led the League in touchback percentage last season and was 6th in field goals made.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) April 11, 2022
Why is this great news for the Minnesota Vikings?
Consistency isn’t something the Vikings have been able to achieve on special teams in several years. At this time. punter and holder Jordan Berry as well as long snapper Andrew DePaola are set to return as well.
Greg Joseph was impressive as the season went on, making some clutch kicks to either keep Minnesota in games or help bring them to victory. At only 27 years old, there is a chance he could be a long-term solution for the position.
Bringing Joseph back under the restricted tender likely means it will be his job to lose in 2022. Although the Vikings could use a draft pick or sign an undrafted free agent to compete with him, Greg Joseph is likely to be the favorite for kicking duties unless someone else can blow the coaching staff away with their skill.