Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings particular groups coordinator Matt Daniels towards the Los Angeles Rams throughout an NFC wild card recreation at State Farm Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Pictures.
Ask Vikings coach Matt Daniels and there’s not a lot of a difficulty with Brett Thorson holding. Or, a minimum of, with catching the snap from the lengthy snapper.
The proficient rookie punter is the underdog in his competitors towards veteran Johnny Hekker, who acquired a single-season deal value $1.262 million on the cap (OTC). Each penny will stick round as lifeless cash if he will get minimize.
Nonetheless, Thorson was dropped at city for a cause. He boasts a booming punt, able to providing his crew wholesome discipline place. Thorson is working beneath a UDFA contract that sees simply $90,000 assured. In different phrases, reducing him gained’t be any hindrance to the cap if issues don’t work out.
What’s working in his favor, although, is his youth, upside, and capability to settle in as a holder.
Vikings Coach Matt Daniels Believes Rookie Punter Can Maintain
Gone are the times of Tony Romo – and, extra precisely, the presently taking part in QBs – holding the ball for PAT and FG. Quite, the job accountability has shifted to the punter, the specialist who spends his days working with the opposite specialists. Giving him the added workload makes all of the sense on this planet.
Per Daniels, the Kirby Good method of not leaning on his punter is spinoff of the Invoice Parcells method. As soon as upon a time, Mike Zimmer was the pinnacle coach of the Vikings. Notably, he’s a Parcells disciple. From time to time, Zimmer would make headlines for his feedback on kickers. Did he ever oversimplify the kicking/holding operation?
Dec 25, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer talks to New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton earlier than their recreation on the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Necessary Credit score: Chuck Prepare dinner-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Extra pertinent for proper now: can Thorson overcome his inexperience as a holder to safe the P1 spot in 2026?
Take a look at what Matt Daniels needed to say: “Obviously, coming out of Georgia, Kirby is really from a Parcells tree […] where the quarterbacks are the holders.” Not lengthy afterwards, Coach Daniels famous Thorson’s “great hands” earlier than describing that the main focus is on inserting the ball down cleanly and on the right angle for Will Reichard.
Therein lies the important thing, of us: working in a method that makes Reichard snug.
Earlier in the identical presser, Coach Daniels described how Reichard retains “chasing” perfection. Doing so means adjusting his mechanics in an effort to drill the soccer completely straight relatively than final yr’s method, one involving a “little baby draw.”
Any punter who can’t enable Reichard to thrive isn’t going to be employed by the Minnesota Vikings.
Dec 7, 2024; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson (92) punts the ball to the Texas Longhorns through the first half within the 2024 SEC Championship recreation at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Brett Davis-Imagn Pictures
“I watched over 300 snaps of this guy at practice and there’s no issue with the holding,” Daniels went on to say of Thorson.
Final yr, Oscar Chapman competed with Ryan Wright to be the crew’s beginning punter. In all chance, Mr. Wright — any individual who provided an unique for VT — would have gained the job it doesn’t matter what, however Chapman appeared to bobble the ball at one level. That didn’t assist, of us.
At this stage, Johnny Hekker seems to be a 99.9% certainty to deal with the snap from lengthy snapper Andrew DePaola cleanly. He’s, like all of us, human, that means he’ll make errors. What he however affords is a excessive diploma of consistency. At no level will he be nervous about catching a heater from DePaola.
Brett Thorson has an extended runway within the NFL since he’s nonetheless a younger fella. Fairly presumably, he’ll be capable of punt the ball for better distance whereas providing higher grasp time, too. However then there’s the opposite side of the job: holding. That small does element issues.
Put bluntly, the Vikings can’t chase upside at punter on the danger of undermining elite play from Reichard.
Aug 16, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings particular groups coordinator Matt Daniels appears on earlier than the sport towards the New England Patriots at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Pictures
Matt Daniels has a number of months earlier than needing to make a closing name. The punter battle will get rolling in late July when the Vikings return for coaching camp.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. E mail: ok.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.
