Getty Kicker Gabe Brkic #47 of the Oklahoma Sooners smiles after his second of three touchdowns against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the fourth quarter at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 25, 2021 in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma won 16-13 on a Brkic field goal.
The Green Bay Packers poached a promising rookie kicker off waivers just days after the Minnesota Vikings waived the prized kicking prospect.
Ranked the second-best kicker in the 2021 draft class by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, Oklahoma kicker Gabe Brkic signed a three-year deal, according to Sooners’ Scoops Jalen Ross, with the Vikings in May — a rare multi-year contract for an undrafted player.
However, after struggling in spring practices, the Vikings cut him on June 10. He sat on waivers over the weekend and was picked up by the Packers on June 13, per the NFL’s transaction wire.
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Another Rookie Kicker Gone Wrong
The Vikings cutting loose a rookie kicker reeks of the Daniel Carlson fiasco in 2018, when Minnesota cut Carlson two weeks into the season. Carlson has since become an All-Pro kicker with the Las Vegas Raiders and has led the league in points the past two seasons.
Brkic, like Carlson, is blooming with potential after an illustrious college career. He made 57 of 69 field goals in his career with the Sooners, including a perfect 17-for-17 2019 season.
Brkic also made 5 of 7 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards last season and converted on 159 of 160 extra points and was a 2021 finalist for the Lou Groza award, given to the best kicker in college football.
Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said Brkic’s arrival meant a true kicker competition, but it appears incumbent starting kicker Greg Joseph won the battle early in the offseason.
“There will be a full-on kicker competition,” Daniel said in a May 24 press conference. “That’s why we brought in those guys is to push those veterans we have. Competition makes each other better and so we want to create as many game-like situations in practice as we can but also pressure situations as we can. Just having that competitive guy right nest you, mentally it does something to you and we’ll see how guys respond to it.”
Minnesota cutting Brkic made room to sign former Denver Broncos linebacker Andre Mintze.
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Joseph is Safe for Now
While Joseph’s job is safe, it remains to be seen if the Vikings will bring in more competition during summer training camp.
The $2.4 million tender Joseph signed this offseason has no guarantees attached. If Joseph is beaten out by another kicker, Minnesota could cut Joseph without eating any dead cap.
However, Joseph, 27, brought stability after a tumultuous 2020 season after Dan Bailey’s collapse late in the 2020 season. Joseph had a clean slate despite never being a bonafide starting kicker to begin a season. His reputation took a hit after missing a go-ahead field goal that would have clinched the Vikings a win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2.
He redeemed himself with a 54-yard game-winning field goal against the Detroit Lions three weeks later. But the next week, Joseph missed another potential game-winner against the Carolina Panthers, but was fortunately bailed out by a Kirk Cousins-K.J. Osborn touchdown connection in overtime. Joseph bounced back again, converting a 29-yard field goal in walk-off fashion at home over the Green Bay Packers.
Joseph proved resilient and had a short memory as the Vikings’ kicker in 2021. He converted on 86.8% of field-goal attempts, hitting 7 of 9 kicks from 50-plus yards out, and made 36 of 40 extra points.
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Packers Poach Prized Rookie Kicker After Vikings Recently Cut Him