Minnesota Vikings All - Time 53-Man Roster

It doesn’t take much to get me thinking about Minnesota Vikings franchise history. The Vikings 66th training camp will open in a few weeks. That starts the path to the team’s 66th roster. The first had fewer than 40 players. It’s wild that fewer than 40 was seen as enough players in 1961 and 53 never seems enough today. Coaches often say “we ONLY have 53 roster spots.” Anyway, think about the Vikings roster over the years got me thinking (again) about an all-time Vikings roster. Here it is. 

Minnesota Vikings All-Time 53-Man Roster

Offense

Quarterbacks
Fran Tarkenton
Daunte Culpepper
Kirk Cousins

I feel like Tommy Kramer should be on this roster but I have to go with Kirk Cousins. If for no other reason, he’s always on the field. Kramer wasn’t. 

Halfbacks
Adrian Peterson
Chuck Foreman
Robert Smith

Dalvin Cook was challenging Robert Smith for that final roster spot. 

Fullback
Bill Brown

Bill Brown’s career was winding down when I fell for the Vikings. He might be the player that I most wish I’d seen in his prime. 

Receivers
Cris Carter
Randy Moss

Justin Jefferson
Ahmad Rashad
Anthony Carter
Adam Thielen 

The Vikings receiver tradition is ridiculous. It’s topped by two Hall of Famers with another on the way. I can’t think of a team with better receivers. Paul Flatley, Gene Washington, John Gilliam, Sammy White, Jake Reed, and Stefon Diggs further add to the Vikings great receiver tradition. 

Tight Ends

Steve Jordan
Kyle Rudolph
Jim Kleinsasser

All three were favorites of mine during the time that they played. T.J. Hockenson is probably the most physically gifted tight end in Vikings franchise history. The knee injury, as a result of a cheap shot from the jackass in Detroit, has robbed him of two seasons. His Vikings career is still being told. 

Tackles
Ron Yary
Gary Zimmerman
Grady Alderman

This is pretty straightforward. Tackle is another position topped by two Hall of Famers. If Christian Darrisaw continues to progress, he will bump Grady Alderman. 

Guards
Randall McDaniel
Steve Hutchinson
Ed White

This is as straightforward as the tackles. Two more Hall of Famers and another with a Hall of Fame argument. 

Centers
Mick Tingelhoff
Matt Birk

Mick Tingelhoff completes the all-Hall of Fame offensive line. 

It was not difficult to fill the offensive line spots on this roster. 

Defense

Defensive Ends
Carl Eller
Chris Doleman
Jim Marshall
Jared Allen

Danielle Hunter

HOF, HOF, should be HOF, HOF, could be HOF. The Vikings have a great receiver tradition. The defensive end tradition isn’t as deep but the top is stacked. 

Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
John Randle
Keith Millard
Kevin Williams

HOF, HOF, would’ve been HOF if injuries hadn’t whittled away at his talents, will be HOF. The defensive tackle tradition in Minnesota is nearly as great as the defensive end tradition. 

Linebackers
Matt Blair

Eric Kendricks

Anthony Barr

Chad Greenway
Scott Studwell

Jeff Siemon

Most of the position groups on this roster are pretty easy to put together. Linebacker isn’t. The Vikings have had several good linebackers. I wouldn’t say that they have had any great linebackers. Matt Blair is arguably the best linebacker to have played for the Vikings. Many might have Scott Studwell starting in the middle. I’m partial to Eric Kendricks. Jeff Siemon had a more decorated middle linebacker career than both. It’s tough to leave off any of the team’s first “very good” linebacker trio of Wally Hilgenberg, Lonnie Warwick, and Roy Winston. Add Ed McDaniel, Ben Leber, Fred McNeil and the Vikings have had a lot of good linebackers. They just haven’t had the great players like those that played on the line in front of them. Mike Merriweather might’ve been the most talented linebacker to play for the Vikings but his career was winding down when he was in Minnesota. 

Cornerbacks
Antoine Winfield
Xavier Rhodes
Carl Lee
Bobby Bryant
Nate Wright

Antoine Winfield was a great football player. He’ll forever rank as one of my favorites. Xavier Rhodes was great for a few years. I just wish that it was for more than just a few years. Carl Lee was sneaky good for several years. Bobby Bryant and Nate Wright were the corners of my youth. Bryant always seemed to make big plays in big moments. Wright will always be known for being shoved to the ground by Drew Pearson. He was a much better player than that one notorious moment. 

Safeties
Paul Krause
Harrison Smith

Joey Browner
Robert Griffith

HOF, should be HOF, should be HOF, very good. I’d like to have Karl Kassulke on this roster but I went with Robert Griffith. Orlando Thomas was on his way to a great career but injuries sadly cut it short. 

Special Teams

Kicker
Will Reichard 

Will Reichard has only played for two seasons but I’ve seen enough. He’s the best. 

Punter
Chris Kluwe

Bobby Walden was really good for a few years in the 1960s. Greg Coleman was good for a long time in the 1970s and 1980s. For this roster, it came down to Mitch Berger vs Chris Kluwe. I went with Kluwe. If he’d not bolted in free agency, Ryan Wright could’ve challenged Kluwe. 

Long Snapper
Cullen Loeffler

Cullen Loeffler vs Andrew DePaola? I went with Loeffler. Mike Morris was a consideration. So was Mick Tingelhoff but he’s already the team’s center. He doesn’t have to do special teams as well in this era. 

Kick Returner
Cordarrelle Patterson

Cordarrelle Patterson is arguably the greatest kick returner in league history. It all started in Minnesota. Throw in a few years from Percy Harvin and the Vikings were dynamite on kick returns for nearly a decade. 

Punt Returner
Marcus Sherels

Marcus Sherels was on the roster bubble every training camp of his career. He always made the team because he was simply one of the best punt returners in the league. 

NFL Top 100

The NFL Top 100 has been an offseason staple since 2011. It’s an annual ranking of the players by the players and it takes a couple months to reveal all 100 players. The best part of the weekly reveals is always the commentary that goes with each player. It’s players talking about players. The talk ranges from informative to hilarious. For most of the past 15 years, it was difficult to miss the weekly episodes. They were blasted across national and regional NFL coverage and shown frequently on NFL Network. Now NFL Network belongs to ESPN and everything feels a little wacky. The NFL Top 100 continues but it’s more of a peep than a shout. It’s more of an online thing than a TV thing but then everything is more on an online thing these days. If interested, you have to go looking for the reveals rather than having them easily handed to you. This year’s edition is a couple weeks into its quiet release. For some reason, it’s currently idling at #73. 73 is always a good stopping point in a countdown. 

NFL Top 100 Players of 2026

100. Cameron Jordan, DE, New Orleans Saints

  99. Quenton Nelson, G, Indianapolis Colts

  98. Bryce Young, QB, Carolina Panthers 

  97. Ernest Jones, LB, Seattle Seahawks 

  96. Travis Etienne, RB, New Orleans Saints

  95. Demario Davis, LB, New York Jets

  94. Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs

  93. Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns 

  92. Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, Houston Texans

  91. Montez Sweat, DE, Chicago Bears 

  90. Derrick Brown, DL, Carolina Panthers 

  89. Kyren Williams, RB, Los Angeles Rams 

  88. Jack Campbell, LB, Detroit Lions

  87. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers

  86. Tuli Tuipulotu, Edge, Los Angeles Chargers

  85. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers 

  84. Byron Young, Edge, Los Angeles Rams 

  83. Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans 

  82. Jalen Ramsey, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers 

  81. Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington Commanders

  80. A.J. Brown, WR, New England Patriots 

  79. Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs 

  77. Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  76. Jaycee Horn, CB, Carolina Panthers

  75. Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals

  74. Josh Jacobs, RB, Green Bay Packers

  73. Zach Allen, DL, Denver Broncos

There’s the first 28 players of the NFL Top 100. Other than the impressive number of Carolina Panthers players, the most interesting thing about the 28 players is the impressive number of off-the-ball linebackers. 

Ernest Jones

Demario Davis

Carson Schwesinger

Azeez Al-Shaair 

Jack Campbell

Bobby Wagner

The under-appreciated position is getting some appreciation. There’s old farts like Demario Davis and Bobby Wagner mixed with youngsters like Carson Schwesinger and Jack Campbell. 

Can’t wait for #72!

Minnesota Vikings: Then And Now

Minnesota Vikings training camp is just over two weeks away. Rookies report on July 26. Veterans report two days later. 2026 Vikings football is ticking closer. In advance of the fun, here’s a look at the projected starters at this point last year compared to the projected starters this year.

Minnesota Vikings: Then and Now

Quarterback

2025: 

J.J. McCarthy

2026: 

Kyler Murray

The J.J. McCarthy vs Kyle Murray quarterback competition will be the talk of training camp. It’s always about the quarterback. More than anything, the Vikings need consistent quarterback play. Last year, the season was wrecked by injuries at the game’s most important position. Those injuries resulted in wildly inconsistent play. Throw in Carson Wentz and the Vikings can legitimately go three-deep at quarterback. Hopefully, that won’t be necessary. No matter which quarterback wins the competition, the Vikings will be better for it. At the moment, I see Murray’s experience winning out. 

Running Back

2025: 

Aaron Jones

2026: 

Aaron Jones

Aaron Jones at 30 vs Aaron Jones at 31. The Vikings run game will likely be a committee. Last year, it was Jones and Jordan Mason. This year, it will be Jones, Mason, and sixth-round rookie Demond Claiborne. The rookie’s speed could be a game-changer. Perhaps the biggest boost to the Vikings run game will come from the coaching and schemes of new assistant head coach Frank Smith. For me, Smith’s impact on the offense in general, and run game in particular, is more interesting than the quarterback competition. 

Receiver

2025:

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Jalen Nailor

2026:

Justin Jefferson

Jordan Addison

Jauan Jennings

This is gonna be fun. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the best receiving duo in the league. Jalen Nailor was a very good #3. Jauan Jennings is a whole other type of receiver. Now the Vikings have the best receiver trio in the league. With his physical play, Jennings will bring a little bit of nasty to the Vikings offense. As long as he plays within the rules of the game, I think the offense can use a bit of nasty.

Tight End

2025:

T.J. Hockenson

Josh Oliver

2026:

T.J. Hockenson

Josh Oliver

T.J. Hockenson is a year older. More importantly, he’s another year removed from the knee injury caused by that jackass in Detroit. Hockenson didn’t look right last year. I’m assuming that was due more to his return from the injury than his age. With a re-worked contract that gives him free agency next March, he’s playing for his NFL future. I think we’ll see a better T.J. Hockenson this year.

Offensive Line

2025:

Christian Darrisaw/Justin Skule

Donovan Jackson

Ryan Kelly

Will Fries

Brian O’Neill

2026:

Christian Darrisaw

Donovan Jackson

Blake Brandel

Will Fries

Brian O’Neill

On paper, the only offensive line change from last year to this year is a center swap from Ryan Kelly to Blake Brandel. At a glance, that’s a swap from a proven, elite center to one that snapped for the first time last year. That’s quite a drop. When Kelly was on the field, he was very much the excellent center the Vikings needed. Unfortunately, concussions took him off the field too many times. Those concussions led to his retirement this offseason. Now, Brandel steps into the lineup. If he stays on the field all season, the center position will be better off this season than it ended up being last season. In 2025, the Vikings had a ridiculous number of injuries on the offensive line. Will Fries was the only starter that started every game. And he spent the early part of the season working his way back from a serious broken leg in 2024. With all the chaos on the line, it’s no wonder the Vikings had to play three quarterbacks. In 2026, Christian Darrisaw should be fully recovered from the 2024 knee injury that frequently took him out of the lineup in 2025. Donovan Jackson will improve on his rookie season. Brandel just needs to be solid. Fries will be better than his first year with the Vikings. Brian O’Neill is always great. If the 2026 Vikings offensive line can dodge the injuries that wrecked 2025, this could be a dominant group.

Defensive Line

2025:

Harrison Phillips

Javon Hargrave

Jonathan Allen

2026:

Jalen Redmond

Domonique Orange

Caleb Banks

It’s wild that the projected defensive line starters at this point last year aren’t even on the roster this year. Harrison Phillips was traded during training camp because of the emergence of Jalen Redmond. After big free agent deals in 2025, Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were released in 2026. The Vikings defensive line might be the position group I’m most excited to see this summer. Redmond emerged as an impact player in his first season as a starter. He now paces this young group. I might be jumping ahead a bit in placing first-round pick Caleb Banks and third-round pick Domonique Orange as starters. If both aren’t starting at the start of the season, I expect both to make early impacts. Throw in Levi Drake Rodriguez, Elijah Williams, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, the Vikings defensive line is going to be fun.

Outside Linebacker

2025:

Jonathan Greenard

Andrew Van Ginkel

2026: 

Dallas Turner

Andrew Van Ginkel

I did not like the draft day trade of Jonathan Greenard. I didn’t like it but I understand it. He was demanding a salary increase the Vikings were reluctant to pay. More importantly, Dallas Turner is ready for a full time role. Andrew Van Ginkel is one of the most fun and unusual defensive players I’ve ever seen. His preternatural edge play is a joy to watch. I wish that he was Turner’s age (23). At 31, I’m hoping Van Ginkel has a few more years in him. Greenard will be missed but Turner and Van Ginkel will be a fun duo.

Inside Linebacker

2025:

Blake Cashman

Ivan Pace Jr.

2026:

Blake Cashman

Eric Wilson

Obviously, the difference here is Eric Wilson. He was a revelation last year. After four years slumming in Philadelphia and Green Bay, he returned to Minnesota as a special teams signing. An early season injury to Blake Cashman put him on the field at linebacker and he never left. Wilson’s play at linebacker got him an extension and an opportunity to form a terrific interior duo with Cashman.

Cornerback

2025:

Byron Murphy Jr.

Isaiah Rodgers

Jeff Okudah

2026:

Byron Murphy Jr.

Isaiah Rodgers

James Pierre

On paper, the difference here is Jeff Okudah vs James Pierre at CB3. It really isn’t a comparison. Okudah was a reclamation project that didn’t work. James Pierre might be turning 30 in September but his underrated career is on the rise. New Vikings secondary coach Gerald Alexander knows Pierre well from their time together in Pittsburgh.

Safety

2025:

Harrison Smith

Joshua Metellus

2026:

Joshua Metellus

Theo Jackson/Jay Ward/Jakobe Thomas

With Harrison Smith currently on the retired list, it’s tough to judge the Vikings safety group. I believe that he returns for his 15th season. Perhaps that’s simply because I’m not ready for his departure from the game. Whether or not Smith returns, I’m expecting third-round rookie Jakobe Thomas to make an early impact. If Smith doesn’t return, I wouldn’t be surprised if Metellus and Thomas are the Vikings starting safeties as early as the season-opener. 

What a difference a year makes. 

Unsigned Draft Picks: By Round

If there’s a break in the NFL offseason, it’s now. The handful of weeks between the end of minicamps and the start of training camps are the slow part of the NFL calendar. The slow times are often reflected in the signing of the draft picks. The two quarterbacks continue to be the only unsigned players from the first round. The surprise of this year’s draft picking signing saga has been the casual pace of third- and fourth-round signings. That was especially true of the top picks in each of those rounds. Here’s a look at the unsigned draft pick status for each of the seven rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft. The first round, of course, is shown in detail.

Unsigned Draft Picks: By Round

First Round

1.   Las Vegas Raiders: Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana 

2.   New York Jets: David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech - Signed

3.   Arizona Cardinals: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame - Signed

4.   Tennessee Titans: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State - Signed

5.   New York Giants: Arvell Reese, LB, Ohio State - Signed

6.   Kansas City Chiefs: Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU - Signed

7.   Washington Commanders: Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State - Signed

8.   New Orleans Saints: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State - Signed

9.   Cleveland Browns: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah - Signed

10. New York Giants: Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami - Signed

11. Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State - Signed

12. Miami Dolphins: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama - Signed

13. Los Angeles Rams: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama

14. Baltimore Ravens: Olaivavega Ioane, G, Penn State - Signed

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami - Signed

16. New York Jets: Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon - Signed

17. Detroit Lions: Blake Miller, OT, Clemson - Signed 

18. Minnesota Vikings: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida - Signed

19. Carolina Panthers: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia - Signed

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Makai Lemon, WR, USC - Signed

21. Pittsburgh Steelers: Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State - Signed

22. Los Angeles Chargers: Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami - Signed

23. Dallas Cowboys: Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF - Signed

24. Cleveland Browns: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M - Signed

25. Chicago Bears: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon - Signed

26. Houston Texans: Keylan Rutledge, G, Georgia Tech - Signed

27. Miami Dolphins: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State - Signed

28. New England Patriots: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah - Signed

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson - Signed

30. New York Jets: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana - Signed

31. Tennessee Titans: Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn - Signed

32. Seattle Seahawks: Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame - Signed

2/32 players are unsigned.

Second Round

23. New England Patriots: Gabe Jacas, Edge, Illinois

1/32 players are unsigned.

Only three unsigned players from the first two rounds. That’s pretty good. It’s the next two rounds that surprise. 

Third Round

1.   Arizona Cardinals: Carson Beck, QB, Miami

5.   Chicago Bears: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford

12. Pittsburgh Steelers: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

3/36 players are unsigned. 

Fourth Round

1.   Las Vegas Raiders: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee

6.   Houston Texans: Febechi Nwaiwu, G, Oklahoma

2/40 players are unsigned.

Fifth Round

0/41 players are unsigned.

Sixth Round

0/35 players are unsigned. 

Seventh Round

0/41 players are unsigned. 

8/257 players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft are unsigned. 

Half of the unsigned players are quarterbacks. 

To 5 Minnesota Vikings Returners

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position concludes with the returners. I’ve combined kick and punt returners in this ranking.

1. Cordarrelle Patterson

2. Percy Harvin

3. Marcus Sherels

4. David Palmer

5. Kene Nwangwu

I feel that the Vikings have had a strong return history. There’s some recency bias in that feeling. Four of the above five returners played for the Vikings since 2009. 

Cordarrelle Patterson is in the argument for best kick returner in NFL history. His best four years and first four years were in Minnesota. He was first-team All-Pro four times. Two of those were with the Vikings. He returned nine kicks for touchdowns. Five of those with the Vikings. Percy Harvin also had five kick return touchdowns for the Vikings. Harvin was the Vikings first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft and was an immediate hit as a returner and receiver. Cordarrelle Patterson was selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft to replace Harvin. Patterson was also an immediate hit. From 2009-16, the Vikings had the best kick returner in the league. For eight years, every Vikings kick return was a legitimate threat to score. During that same time, Marcus Sherels held the same threat as a punt returner. It took a bit longer but Sherels matched the five kick return touchdowns of Harvin and Patterson with five punt return touchdowns. Harvin, Patterson, and Sherels were an awesome trio of returners. I was thrilled when the Vikings selected David Palmer in the second round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He was such a versatile football player at Alabama. He didn’t really reach my expectations on offense but Cris Carter, Jake Reed, and Randy Moss were in that Vikings receiver room. It was tough for any other receiver to gain any traction. Palmer did reach my expectations as a returner. He returned two punts and one kick touchdowns. He’s the only returner in Vikings history to return a punt and a kick for touchdowns. Palmer was a fun football player. For three years, Kene Nwangwu made Vikings kick returns dangerous again. During his rookie 2021 season, he returned two kicks for touchdowns and posted a ridiculous average of 32.2 yards/return. He returned a third kick for a touchdown in his second season. Injuries took a chunk out of his third and final season with the Vikings.

The eight years of Percy Harvin, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Marcus Sherels have to rank as some of the best and most exciting returning in league history. The three combined for 15 touchdowns. Returns were so much fun during those years. 

 

Top 5 Minnesota Vikings Punters

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the punters. If I ranked the kickers, I had to rank the punters. 

1. Chris Kluwe

2. Greg Coleman

3. Ryan Wright

4. Mitch Berger

5. Bobby Walden

The above five could probably be rolled out in any order. Harry Newsome, Jeff Locke, and Britton Colquitt could also be in the mix. Chris Kluwe tops this list mostly for his consistency over eight years. I don’t remember any down years. Greg Coleman was the most fun punter in Vikings franchise history. In my memories of his 10-year career in Minnesota, he ran with the ball, rather than punted, far more times than he actually did. In reality, he ran for only four first downs. I remember more than a dozen. Ryan Wright could’ve become the best punter in Vikings franchise history. Instead, he departed this offseason for the New Orleans Saints. Over his four years in Minnesota, he has the highest yards/punt and best rate of punts inside the 20-yard line. Those are two of the best metrics for a punter. The only knock on Wright’s Vikings career is his underwhelming second season. It was that season that seemed to make him a bubble player in each of his three training camps as the incumbent. Mitch Berger was simply a solid and consistent punter for all of his six seasons in Minnesota. The Vikings have only had one punter lead the league in yards/punt. That punter was Bobby Walden. He paced the league’s punters as a rookie in 1964. As a kid, I remember Walden as the steady punter of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was actually a bit of a shock to discover that his first four seasons were with the Vikings. How did he get away in an era when player movement was quite restricted? 

The Vikings have a solid punter history. A reason that it isn’t a great one is that the team was often looking for their next punter. Only Greg Coleman, Chris Kluwe, and Mitch Berger punted for at least five years for the Vikings. Those three are franchise outliers. Here’s a look at the team’s most tenured punters.

Greg Coleman: 10 years

Chris Kluwe: 8 years

Mitch Berger: 6 years

Ryan Wright: 4 years

Bobby Walden: 4 years

Harry Newsome: 4 years

Jeff Locke: 4 years

Neil Clabo: 3 years

Mike Eishceid: 3 years 

Bucky Scribner: 3 years

Those punters punted for 46 of the Vikings 65 years. Over the other 19 years, it was a merry-go-round of punters. 

Top 5 Minnesota Vikings Kickers

The ranking of the best Minnesota Vikings players at each position continues with the kickers. Yes. The kickers. 

1. Will Reichard

It shouldn’t be this easy to rank so high. Will Reichard was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. An injury cut his rookie season to 13 games. His second season may have been the greatest display of kicking I’ve ever seen. In only two seasons, Will Reichard has become more myth than real. In only two seasons, he’s risen to be the best kicker in Vikings history. He is that good at kicking a football. 

2. Fred Cox

I discovered the Vikings with Fred Cox as the kicker. Despite becoming the kicker in the Vikings third season, it just felt like he’d always been the team’s kicker. He’s the team’s all-time scoring leader and second isn’t remotely close. Cris Carter’s 670 points is less than half of Cox’s 1365 points. 

Fred Cox also invented the Nerf football. That alone is almost enough to bump him ahead of Will Reichard. Reichard is just too good,

3. Ryan Longwell

As a Cal alum, it was a revelation to see Ryan Longwell depart Green Bay for Minnesota. Until Will Reichard, Longwell was the most reliable kicker of my Vikings life. He was a great kicker in Green Bay. That’s why he was there for nine years. He was even better in Minnesota. The cozy comfort of a domed stadium certainly helped. If Longwell was kicking for the Vikings in 1998, they would’ve been playing in Super Bowl XXXIII. If he had a chance to kick in 2009, the Vikings would’ve been playing in Super Bowl  XLIV. 

4. Blair Walsh

There was a time when Blair Walsh was for the Vikings what Will Reichard is now. Walsh’s rookie season is one of the best rookie seasons in the kicking history of the NFL. He was outstanding as a rookie. He was great in his second and third seasons. Then he missed that short kick in the frozen outdoors against the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs. After that, he had the yips. He was never the same kicking beast he was as a rookie. 

5. Gary Anderson

Gary Anderson kicked in the NFL for 23 years. From 1998-2002, he kicked for the Vikings. In 1998, he was perfect, 35 field goal attempts. 35 field goals made. 59 extra points attempts 59 extra points made. Anderson didn’t miss a kick until the NFC Championship. His miss in that game is one of the most painful moments in Vikings franchise history. 

In Gary Anderson, Ryan Longwell, and Blair Walsh, Vikings fans have seen the gamut of a kickers impact. All three were among the best in the league during their Minnesota days. Anderson missed a kick he always makes. Longwel never got a shot at potentially the biggest kick in team history. Walsh missed that easy kick in very cold weather. Here’s hoping that Will Reichard gets all of those big kick opportunities. And more. Will “the Thrill” will not miss.