As Will Reichard's return nears, John Parker Romo has proven he belongs in NFL

Romo figures to get another opportunity somewhere down the stretch of this season.

Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings kicker John Parker Romo (96) watches his successful game winning field goal against the Chicago Bears during overtime at Soldier Field. / Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

The Vikings officially opened the return-to-practice windows for long snapper Andrew DePaola and kicker Will Reichard on Tuesday. If they look good in practice this week and are ready to go, they'll be activated from injured reserve this weekend and will play against the Falcons. And that will leave the players who have replaced them for the past four games — LS Jake McQuaide and K John Parker Romo — without jobs.

Although Reichard's return is coming as soon as this week, Romo has proven he belongs in the NFL. He did everything the Vikings could've asked for when they picked him up to replace the injured Reichard. Romo went 11 for 12 on field goal attempts, making 5 of 6 from 40+ with a long of 55. His four FGs were the Vikings' entire offense against the Jaguars, he hit an overtime game-winner against the Bears, and he made three more against the Cardinals on Sunday.

There's no question that Reichard will get his job back when he's deemed ready to play; the sixth-round rookie from Alabama had been perfect on all of his kicks, with four makes from 50+, prior to a couple misses against the Colts in the game where got hurt. But Romo has kicked well enough to earn another opportunity somewhere else. There should be interest in his services from any team whose kicker gets hurt — or perhaps a team who has simply struggled in that area.

"For a guy like Parker, he's just looking for the opportunity," Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said on Tuesday. "And I'm glad we were able to give that to him. He truly maximized every single rep. He's been through the ups and downs of pressure situations from a kicking standpoint in the NFL and he's answered the call to truly show that he is really deserving of being one of 32. I do believe that he'll get another opportunity if it isn't with the Minnesota Vikings moving forward."

This opportunity was a huge one for the 27-year-old Romo, a former Virginia Tech kicker who was playing in the XFL in 2023 and hadn't been able to stick with an NFL team. He took full advantage of that chance and now figures to get another one in the league, sooner or later. In the meantime, he'll stick around on the roster this week in case Reichard isn't quite ready to kick on Sunday.

It may be a waiting game for Romo in terms of where he could land next. The four current kickers who are below 75 percent on field goals this year are Dustin Hopkins (Browns), Justin Tucker (Ravens), Younghoe Koo (Falcons), and Evan McPherson (Bengals). Two of those teams have been eliminated from playoff contention. Tucker is shockingly 19 of 27 and has missed two extra points, but the Ravens aren't going to move on from one of the greatest to ever do it just yet. Koo has also earned a fairly long leash despite being 21 of 29 this year.

Unless one of those players or someone else really struggles in the next couple weeks, it may take an injury for Romo to get another shot. But whether that comes this season or perhaps in 2025, he's clearly earned an opportunity to kick in NFL games moving forward.