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It’s been a fun ride for Minnesota Vikings kicker John Parker Romo, but his time with the team has reached its coda.
After losing a kicking competition to college football’s best kicker in rookie Will Reichard this summer, the 27-year-old former Virginia Tech and XFL kicker returned home to Fayetteville, Arkansas.
No phone calls from any other NFL teams. No contact with the Vikings since July. Just making ends meet as an outside services supervisor at a local golf course.
That was until the Vikings called up Romo on November 4 after Reichard suffered a quad injury in a Week 9 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Reichard was placed on injured reserve as a franchise snakebitten by bad kicking luck seemed stricken once more.
Romo didn’t let that be the case.
He steadied the Vikings through a turnover-riddled win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, scoring every point in the 12-7 win. Romo fought through a shaky performance against the Tennessee Titans to play hero against the Chicago Bears the next week, hitting the overtime game-winner at Soldier Field, and converting a clutch field goal in a fourth-quarter comeback over the Arizona Cardinals last week.
But with Reichard’s return to practice in Week 14, Romo’s days in Minnesota are numbered.
Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels addressed Romo’s run with the Vikings which has vitalized his career — converting 11-of-12 field goals and 7-of-8 extra points in his four games.
Daniels admitted that the Vikings, under an end-of-season roster crunch with the playoffs in mind, likely won’t keep Romo in the building.
But he’s earned his stake to stay in the NFL and a special place in Vikings franchise lore after years of shaky play at the position.
“For a guy like Parker, he’s just looking for the opportunity,” Daniels said on December 3, per Sports Illustrated. “And I’m glad we were able to give that to him. He truly maximized every single rep. He’s been through the ups and downs of pressure situations from a kicking standpoint in the NFL and he’s answered the call to truly show that he is really deserving of being 1-of-32.
“I do believe that he’ll get another opportunity if it isn’t with the Minnesota Vikings moving forward.”
Vikings K John Parker Romo’s Next Stop
GettyJohn Parker Romo
As the Vikings evaluate how Reichard handles a full week of kicking ahead of the team’s Week 14 matchup with the Atlanta Falcons, Romo is waiting to see if he will stick it out another week with the team.
If he is released, Romo may not have to wait for next season to get his next shot.
There are four starting kickers converting below 75% on field goals this year: Dustin Hopkins (Cleveland Browns), Justin Tucker (Baltimore Ravens), Younghoe Koo (Atlanta Falcons), and Evan McPherson (Cincinnati Bengals).
The Browns and Bengals are already eliminated from playoff contention and unlikely to go searching for midseason answers to their kicking woes. The Ravens have had an uncharacteristically frustrating season with Tucker, but it would be a rash decision to part ways with one of the greatest kickers in league history midseason.
Koo has also built up some credit in the Falcons locker room but a change may be necessary depending on his performance amid a tight NFC South division race.
Any of these teams could be candidates to open a kicking competition next summer, and Romo could be a name atop many teams’ lists.
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Vikings Expected to Cut Unsung Hero After Historic Run