Vikings fortify the roster with extension for player who came at a discount while raising multiple questions
Heading into free agency, the Minnesota Vikings have signed multiple players to contract extensions. It started with safety Theo Jackson on Thursday and continued Sunday afternoon with running back Aaron Jones. Late Sunday night, the Vikings made another move to fill out the roster by signing punter Ryan Wright to a one-year contract worth $1.75 […]
Heading into free agency, the Minnesota Vikings have signed multiple players to contract extensions. It started with safety Theo Jackson on Thursday and continued Sunday afternoon with running back Aaron Jones.
Late Sunday night, the Vikings made another move to fill out the roster by signing punter Ryan Wright to a one-year contract worth $1.75 million. He can earn up to $2 million in incentives..
Vikings sign punter Ryan Wright
The Vikings bringing back Wright is objectively fine from a procedural standpoint, especially when it comes to holding. The relationship between kicker, holder, and long snapper is arguably more important than the punter.
Wright has been a good punter overall for the Vikings but hasn't been a great one. That distinction is arguably why Wright didn't sign for the right of first refusal tender of just over $3.2 million.
After winning the job as a rookie undrafted free agent in 2022, Wright has punted for three seasons with mixed results. His worst season for the Vikings came in 2023 where he struggled to land punts inside the 20-yard line with just 16. He bounced back in a major way this past season with 27. His best year was his rookie year,
What remains to be seen after he signed a smaller contract is if the Vikings will choose to bring in competition for Wright. He's had it before but they didn't last very long during training camp. Bringing in competition can raise the level of the room and potentially find a replacement.
While having a great punter isn't the end-all be-all, it does give you an advantage, especially when they have a good hangtime and can pin the ball inside the 20-yard line. Doing those things well can put the opponents' offense in poor situations that will allow your defense to thrive and make big plays.
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