The Minnesota Vikings are hosting their first training camp without former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah attached to the organziation in five years, hiring Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks as his replacement in early June. Teasley will inherit a productive special teams unit, and it’s time to preview the group with veterans reporting to Eagan on Tuesday.
Special teams are highlighted by kicker Will Reichard, who won First-Team All-Pro honors in 2025. Minnesota also welcomed a couple of new punters: Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson.
Elite Kicker + a Punting Competition
Will Reichard (K)
Here’s a fun paradox about Reichard in the 2025 campaign: he wasn’t good enough for Pro Bowl recognition, but the league’s voting process awarded him First-Team All-Pro honors. He and Brandon Aubrey of the Dallas Cowboys split those accolades, meaning, based on one’s opinion, the Vikings either have the best kicker in the NFL or the second-best.
Reichard was basically automatic in Year No. 2, drilling 33 of 35 field goals for a 94.3% success rate and all 31 extra points. He also buried a team-record 62-yarder – – a franchise record – – connected on all 22 attempts from inside 50 yards, and finished the season with 19 consecutive makes. Minnesota’s kicking job is about as settled as it gets.
It’s worth noting that Vikings fans have dreamed – – perhaps prayed – – for this kicking stability for 25 years.
Johnny Hekker (P)
In free agency, Minnesota landed Hekker, who was the best punter in the world about 10 years ago. It’s unclear if he’ll defeat the next guy on the list at training camp during the punting competition, but once upon a time, Hekker was the real deal.
He has experience holding field goals and extra points, which may be needed for two reasons: a) Ryan Wright held the holder job for four seasons, and he left for the New Orleans Saints this offseason b) Brett Thorson, the Vikings’ other punter, did not hold field goals and extra points at the University of Georgia.
Brett Thorson (P)
Thorson won the Ray Guy Award in 2025, the honor bestowed upon the best punter in college football. A few months later, he landed with the Vikings via undrafted free agency a few hours after the draft.
If there were no Hekker on the roster, Thorson would be a no-brainer as Minnesota’s shiny new punter. But the Hekker v. Thorson battle will evidently be real. Otherwise, why have two punters at training camp?
It might be weird to cut the best collegiate punter five months after Wright left, perhaps giving Thorson slight frontrunner status as training camp opens. Ex-Vikings coach Mike Zimmer once said, “It’s a young man’s game.”
Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels recently said he reviewed more than 300 of the rookie’s practice holds and found no problem with his execution.
Andrew DePaola (LS)
DePaola enters Year No. 7 in the Twin Cities, racking up four All-Pro nods and three Pro Bowls along the way. There’s not much you need to know about him other than he’s a Top 2 long snapper in the world.
At 38 (39 on Tuesday), he’s also the oldest player on the Vikings’ roster. An elder statesman.
Myles Price (Presumptive KR/PR)
In theory, Minnesota could cultivate a new return man this summer or divide the responsibilities among a separate kick and punt returner. Names like Tai Felton (WR), Demond Claiborne (RB), Dillon Bell (WR), and Isaiah Rodgers (CB) come to mind.
If that doesn’t happen, Price will be called on for a second year, hoping to capitalize on his rookie breakout season in 2025 as a return man.
It always seemed like Price was an inch from paydirt. Maybe he’ll take one or two to the house in 2026.
VikesNow Projection for Special Teamers on 53-Man Roster:
K: Will Reichard
P: Brett Thorson
LS: Andrew DePaola
KR/PR: Myles Price
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VikesNow Verdict: Reichard and DePaola give Minnesota one of the NFL’s most dependable kicking operations, while Price returns after an electric but occasionally volatile rookie season. The only meaningful camp mystery is punter, where Hekker’s experience and holding ability must fend off Thorson’s booming leg and upside.
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