John Parker Romo makes most of NFL opportunity with perfect Vikings debut

Kevin O'Connell said the Vikings were 'lucky' Romo was still available.

John Parker Romo kicks in Vikings practice. / Courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

After Will Reichard won the Minnesota Vikings kicking job over John Parker Romo, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told Romo he should be kicking somewhere in the NFL this season. It took some time, but Romo finally got his chance.

It came with the Vikings on Sunday as Romo was signed as the replacement for Reichard, who landed on the injured reserve due to a quad strain. O'Connell had told Romo that the Vikings would give him a call if anything happened to Reichard and made good on that promising, bringing Romo in to compete with other kickers to be Reichard's fill-in.

Romo won the job, and it was abundantly clear why, as the Vikings couldn't have relied on him more on Sunday.

All of Minnesota’s points came off Romo’s leg in a 12-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Romo was a perfect 4 for 4 on his field-goal attempts in his NFL debut. Doesn't get much better.

“He was huge,” O’Connell said of Romo. “… We were just lucky he was available in that moment to go get him.” 

Romo made a 45-yard field goal on the Vikings’ opening drive. His 33-yard boot in the third quarter cut Minnesota’s deficit to 7-6, and his 34-yarder in the fourth put them up 9-7. His 29-yarder in the final minutes provided some breathing room.

“My number got called a couple times (Sunday), and I came through, so it’s super exiting,” Romo said in his postgame, on-field interview on FOX. “Obviously, a little bit of nerves. Anybody who tells you not — you’re definitely going to have nerves, but kicking 15 years, I prepared for this moment. … It’s a great time to be a Viking.” 

Romo got his first NFL opportunity with the New Orleans Saints in 2022 but was cut before the season. In 2023, he played with the XFL’s San Antonio Brahmas and made 17-of-19 field-goal attempts, including a then-XFL-record 57-yarder, and made the 2023 All-XFL Team. Romo signed with the Detroit Lions, Chicago Bears and Vikings over the following two years, getting cut each time. Romo finally got his opportunity on Sunday, and he certainly made the most of it.

Making it a little bit more special, too, was that it came against the Jaguars. Romo said he trains with Jaguars kicker Cam Little and it was "cool to go head to head with him." Romo ultimately got to be the difference-maker in the game.

"I'm just blessed," Romo said on FOX.