The Minnesota Vikings face the tough task of defending U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday against a familiar quarterback in Kirk Cousins when the Atlanta Falcons attempt to snap the five-game winning streak of the purple and gold.
While Cousins' return to Minnesota will be the headline surrounding the game, the Vikings are getting rookie kicker Will Reichard back from injured reserve after dealing with a quad injury that kept him out for four weeks.
Top Vikings rookie officially returning on Sunday vs. the Falcons
The official X account of the Minnesota Vikings shared the news of Reichard's return in a fun video, saying, "Will The Thrill Comin (Back)!"
Will The Thrill Comin (Back)! pic.twitter.com/15cTKdl9Ul
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 7, 2024
Will Reichard was flawless as a kicker until he visibly struggled to kick against the Indianapolis Colts. In that game, he missed two field goals and was placed on injured reserve for a quad injury with the designation to return.
In his place, the Vikings signed Parker Romo. Romo did an admirable job filling in, missing only one field goal and one extra point out of 20 total kicks. To make room for Reichard on the roster, Minnesota waived Parker Romo
In addition to Reichard's return, All-Pro long snapper Andrew DePaola will also return to the team after a stink on injured reserve, putting Minnesota's special teams trio back in place for the game against the Falcons.
The #Vikings have activated LS Andrew DePaola and K Will Reichard from IR.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 7, 2024
K Parker Romo has been waived and OLB Gabriel Murphy has been elevated to the active roster for tomorrow's game.https://t.co/tzYiHkh5qM pic.twitter.com/cC3v8o0SMv
Since the Detroit Lions won against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, Minnesota needs a win in order to keep pace in the race for the NFC North. Despite their 10-2 record, the Vikings still sit behind the 11-1 Lions in a race that could come down to the final week of the season.
Although the Atlanta Falcons are on a three-game losing streak and Kirk Cousins is coming off one of the worst performances of his career, Minnesota needs to take the Falcons seriously and having Reichard and DePaola back should help the team's chances of a victory on Sunday.
Parker Romo did a great job filling in for Will Reichard while the sixth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft recovered from injury but now Romo returns to free agency. Hopefully, the purple and gold keep his number ready in case something else happens and the all-time NCAA Division I FBS scoring leader is unable to perform his kicking duties in the near future.