Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the Vikings are signing Johnny Hekker after a team workout and evaluations of several punters.
- Minnesota held a punter workout that included Hekker, veteran Matt Haack and rookie Jack Stonehouse while incumbent Brett Thorson rehabs a hamstring, Vikings special-teams coordinator Matt Daniels confirmed.
- Hekker was released in August and is returning to a game-ready role that the Vikings prioritized for holding reliability and experience.
- The 36-year-old is a four-time Pro Bowl selection, four-time First-Team All-Pro, a Super Bowl champion with the Rams and has earned more than $33 million over his career.
- Hekker’s signing also removes a veteran option from the market and leaves the Rams, whose special teams have ranked near the bottom in several early-season metrics, with fewer immediate veteran choices.