Vikings release veteran punter Johnny Hekker, turn to rookie Brett Thorson
The Minnesota Vikings are releasing veteran punter Johnny Hekker, per Tom Pelissero, with rookie Brett Thorson set to take over the job. Hekker, a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's most decorated specialists during h…
The Minnesota Vikings are releasing veteran punter Johnny Hekker, per Tom Pelissero, with rookie Brett Thorson set to take over the job.
The Vikings are releasing veteran punter Johnny Hekker, per source. Rookie Brett Thorson, the Australia native and reigning Ray Guy Award winner at Georgia, will be Minnesota's punter.View on X →
Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero): The Vikings are releasing veteran punter Johnny Hekker, per source. Rookie Brett Thorson, the Australia native and reigning Ray Guy Award winner at Georgia, will be Minnesota's punter.
Hekker, a four-time Pro Bowler and one of the league's most decorated specialists during his time in Los Angeles, had been expected to stabilize Minnesota's punting. Instead the Vikings are betting on youth: Thorson, an Australia native and the reigning Ray Guy Award winner at Georgia, will be the team's punter. It is a clear signal that Minnesota is comfortable with an unproven leg exiting cutdown rather than paying a veteran.