The Minnesota Vikings have been fortunate this season to have players who have stepped up while others were out with injuries. At 11-2, the strategy of putting faith in the next man up has paid off and continues to pay dividends for the purple and gold.
When the injured player returns to the team, things can be a little awkward transitioning back to the original depth chart, but sometimes fortune finds those players who did a good job filling in and they earn opportunities elsewhere in the NFL.
Former Vikings kicker lands with last-place team in AFC East
That's exactly what happened to kicker Parker Romo. Filling in for Will Reichard in Minnesota, Romo finally saw his first regular-season action in the league during a four-game stretch where the team didn't lose a single game.
Romo connected on 11 of his 12 field goal attempts while with Minnesota and seven of his eight extra-point tries. Sadly, when Reichard returned from his injury, the Vikings waived him. He then cleared waivers and became a free agent.
However, Parker Romo didn't take long to find a new team. On Tuesday, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo shared on social media that the former Vikings kicker is expected to sign with the New England Patriots.
The #Patriots are expected to sign K John Parker Romo to the practice squad, one day after he cleared waivers from the #Vikings, sources say. Romo went 11-for-12 on field-goal attempts for Minnesota while Will Reichard was injured. Latches on quickly in New England. pic.twitter.com/rUBe8gEOwY
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 10, 2024
The report stated that Romo is expected to join the Patriots' practice squad. At the moment, Joey Slye is still the starting kicker for New England Slye has struggled kicking field goals in New England's last two games, which were both losses with the most recent decided by only one point.
Slye's struggles and the arrival of Parker Romo with the Patriots gives New England an opportunity to get a look at 27-year-old Romo on the practice squad while seeing if journeyman Slye can get out of his recent funk of missing half his field goal tries in the last two games.
This is fantastic for Romo. He made the most of his opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings and was able to transition his success into a spot on another team's practice squad. His new team may not be 11-2 on the way to the playoffs, but even playing for a three-win AFC East team on a three-game losing streak is still playing in the NFL.
Hopefully Parker Romo can continue to impress as a kicker and find a regular role in the league. His time with the Vikings proved that he can handle the job and the future is bright for the former Minnesota kicker.