Vikings kicker John Parker Romo knows he’s auditioning for 31 other teams

John Parker Romo was at home in Fayetteville, Arkansas, on Sunday watching the prime-time game between the Vikings and the Indianapolis Colts.  His mind started to race as soon as he noticed rookie kicker Will Reichard was limping on the sideline.

Though he made it very clear that he hated seeing Reichard suffer a quadriceps injury, Romo knew it potentially opened the door for a reunion. Romo, who was waived by the Vikings during training camp, went to bed thinking there was a chance they might reach out.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Romo said. “Just praying that call was going to come.”

The past 72 hours have been a whirlwind.

He got the call from the Vikings on Monday, flew to the Twin Cities for a tryout on Tuesday and practiced at TCO Performance Center on Wednesday.  Romo admitted that doubt started to creep in.

“Just stayed ready for my moment,” Romo said. “They called me up and I was ready to go.”

As he reflected on the process, Romo gave a big shoutout to former Arkansas long snapper Jordan Silver and current Arkansas punter Devin Bale. The trio has been working together a few times per week, which has allowed Romo to stay sharp.

“I get a full operation down there,” Romo said. “It’s a good spot to be.”

Were there any nerves heading into the tryout with the Vikings? Not really, Romo said.

“I’ve been kicking for 15 years now,” Romo said with a smile. “I’ve been waiting for this moment. I was fully prepared. Just had to go out and execute.”

It’s been a winding road to get to this point for Romo. He attended Central Arkansas, Tulsa and Virginia Tech before going undrafted in 2022. His most success as a pro came with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL where he went 17 of 19 on field-goal attempts in the 2023 season. He has also spent time with the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears.

Now he’s on the verge of officially kicking for the Vikings when take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

As much as he understands that he will be auditioning for every other team in the NFL over the next month or so, Romo also plans to soak in the moment on Sunday with his dream set to become a reality.

“This will be my NFL debut,” Romo said. “Just excited for the opportunity and I’ve got to take advantage of it.”

Briefly

The injury report released by the Vikings had linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. (knee) as the only player who did not participate. Meanwhile, center Garrett Bradbury (rest) and linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (rest) both got the day off.