On the same day the Minnesota Vikings welcomed back Garrett Bradbury and running back Nick Mullens, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also made a special teams move.
Kicker Greg Joseph, an unrestricted free agent, will return for a third season after a hot-and-cold year in 2022.
There’s a verdict on the Vikings Kicker
Joseph’s agent, Brett Tessler, announced the reunion On Twitter, with a little extra praise, only an agent can say: “Congratulations to my client Greg Joseph on his new deal with the Minnesota Vikings. Set NFL record with 5 game-winning field goals last season, including club-record 61-yard game-winner vs. Giants & 2 NFC Special Teams Player of the Week awards.”
While the exact parameters of the deal were not immediately announced, the agreement reportedly includes a fully guaranteed amount. That raises the possibility of Joseph kicking for the Vikings in Week 1 of 2023, perhaps without a summer battle, as the Vikings have embraced in years past.
Despite the setback, Joseph will become the Vikings’ first kicker since Blair Walsh (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) to start three consecutive seasons (2021, 2022, 2023).
South Africa in 2022 was the ultimate Viking sugar and spice commodity, reliable when it mattered and generally inconsistent. Between September and January, he was insane and created many Minnesota memories by hitting five game-winning pitches, as Tessler noted, you read that right; five — A key component in the Vikings’ NFL record-setting 11-0 record in games decided by one score or less. The Minnesota forward has won five football games for a team that has been known to be snakebitten by abrasion-related hijinks.
But somehow, Joseph wasn’t very good outside of clutch hitting. It is hard to believe, but it is true. The man was flawless when it mattered most, but a colossal question mark when a routine extra point or field goal was on the agenda, odd indeed.
Joseph was ranked as follows in 2022 according to critical indicators:
- Game Winning Field Goals = 1st
- FG Conv % = 28th
- Extra point Conv % = 31st
In the end, for Joseph’s free agency, the Vikings chose “what they know” with Joseph, obviously considering his clutch gene + trajectory of improvement in the usual areas. And to some extent, Vikings fans should applaud the decision. For 25 years, the mention of the berserkers in Viking social circles has been frowned upon, largely because finding one who was the arrest seemed intractable.
Joseph is cool, in a good way, and that’s apparently enough to lead the team.
He will be 29 years old in August.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel, VikesNow:. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday Raun Sauh and: Sal Spice:. His Viking obsession dates back to 1996. Guilty pleasures mentioned: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, The Sopranos and The Doors (band).
All statistics are provided Pro Football Reference / Stathead:; All contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.