Will Reichard capped a standout 2025 season by earning NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December/January.
Will Reichard had one of the best kicking seasons in Minnesota Vikings history in 2025. He didn't earn a Pro Bowl nod for his efforts, but he did receive an accolade for his performance over the final five games of the season.
On Thursday, the NFL announced that Reichard was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for December/January. He made 12/12 field goals and 12/12 extra point attempts. This included three 50+ yard attempts, with a long of 59.
Reichard was spectacular every other month of the season, too. He converted 33/35 field goals on the year and hit all 31 extra point attempts.
One of his two misses was believed to have hit a camera wire when the Vikings played the Cleveland Browns in London back in Week 5. Even then, it was a 51-yard attempt. That's well within his range, but not a chip shot. His other miss was a 53-yarder two weeks later.
But those didn't sway his confidence from over 50. Reichard hit 11/13 total field goals from over 50 yards, the most in Vikings history. His 62 yard kick in Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals was the longest in team history.
It was a strong bounce back year for Reichard, whose rookie season was derailed by a quad injury he sustained in November. He hadn't missed a kick before the injury, but missed six field goals in six games after. He was still perfect on extra points all year, making all 38 attempts.
Reichard has brought stability to the kicking position that Minnesota hasn't had since Ryan Longwell left the team following the 2011 season. Blair Walsh, drafted in 2012, was spectacular as a rookie, but became more inconsistent in subsequent seasons.
His struggles came to a head in the 2015 Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks. With 26 seconds left, Walsh took the field to attempt a 27-yard field goal that would have given the Vikings a 12-10 lead. Instead, the kick sailed wide left and never had a chance. Minnesota lost, and Walsh was cut in 2016 after missing eight kicks (4 FG, 4 XP) in nine games.
Over the next several seasons, the Vikings cycled through Kai Forbath, Daniel Carlson, Dan Bailey, and Greg Joseph. Carlson was infamously cut two games into his career, then signed with the Raiders and became one of the best kickers in the league.
This time, it feels like Minnesota has a long-term solution. His quirky personality and youthful face make him easy for fans to root for. But when he takes the field, he wants to ruin his opponent's day.
“I think it’s just a credit to who this guy is,” Matt Daniels, the Vikings' special teams coordinator, said before Week 18. “He’s got a true killer mindset, a growth mindset… This guy is wired the right way.”
Reichard didn’t receive Pro Bowl honors, but his play placed him squarely among the league’s best. His 94.3% field goal percentage was surpassed only by Nick Folk and Eddie Piñero, with Piñero missing four extra points while Folk was perfect.
More importantly, 2025 felt like something the Vikings have rarely had at the position — a season defined by confidence, consistency, and the sense that the kicking carousel may finally be over.