5 players Vikings fans won't miss if they don't return in 2024
By Chris Schad
Player No. 4
Ryan Wright - P
The fun with special teams doesn’t stop at the kicker position as Ryan Wright regressed from an impressive rookie season.
Wright was one of the biggest surprises for the 2022 Vikings as he unseated veteran Jordan Berry during training camp.
Wright averaged 42.3 net yards per punt and had only one touchback on 73 attempts last season, but he couldn’t find the same success last year.
In 59 attempts, Wright averaged 48.9 yards per punt – an increase of 47.4 yards in 2022 – but he also saw his net yards per punt drop to 41.6, and his touchback rate go from 1.4 percent in 2022 to 11.9 percent with seven touchbacks in 2023.
Field position was a big deal for Minnesota in 2023 – especially in the aftermath of Kirk Cousins’s injury – so Wright’s tenure could be short-lived.
If the Vikings chart a similar path, fans could move on to the next punter or just reminisce about Mitch Berger and Chris Kluwe.