The celebration was underway on Sunday night at AT&T Stadium after the Vikings upset the Dallas Cowboys.

As has become customary after every win, head coach Kevin O’Connell was giving his speech in the locker room when he locked eyes with kicker Will Reichard.

“This guy has ice in veins,” O’Connell said before giving Reichard a game ball. “He’s going to continue to do this for a long time.”

In the final minutes of the primetime matchup, Reichard calmly trotted onto the playing surface and drilled a clutch field goal. That helped the Vikings put the finishing touches on a 34-26 win over the Cowboys.

It was exactly what special teams coordinator Matt Daniels has come to expect out of Reichard with how reliable he’s been since the Vikings selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

“That was big time,” Daniels said. “That guy continues to be a monster for us.”

The fact that Reichard got to deliver the knockout blow with the Vikings playing the Cowboys was especially meaningful to him. It was Reichard’s way of making a statement on national television while going up against who many consider to be the best kicker in the NFL.

That debate features the likes of Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker, Seahawks kicker Jason Myers, and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, among a handful of others.

Though he’s in the early stages of in his career, Reichard absolutely deserves to be in that discussion. He’s made 24 of 26 field goals this season with his only misses coming from beyond 50 yards. He’s also never missed an extra point since reaching the NFL.

“I have conversations with the opposing special teams coordinator,” Daniels said. “Typically, the first thing that’s said from that person is, ‘You’ve got the right guy.’”

That was apparent from the moment Reichard arrived as a rookie. He went a couple of months without missing a kick of any kind to start his career before suffering a quad injury that forced him to miss some time.

That resulted in some inconsistency from Reichard down the stretch last season while also leaving the door open for criticism if he didn’t live up to expectations this season.

There have been absolutely no issues as Reichard has been virtually automatic for the Vikings aside from a couple of misses that can be consider fluky given his resume.

He missed 51-yard field goal wide right against the Browns on a kick many thought hit an overhanging wire. He also missed a 53-yard field goal short against the Los Chargers on a kick that involved a rushed operation before halftime.

Not only has Reichard been flawless on kicks inside of 50 yards, he’s also an impressive 9 of 11 on kicks 50 yards and beyond. The only player in the NFL with more made field goals from that range is Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin.

Asked who he thinks the best kicker in the NFL is, Daniels smiled at the thought of having to answer that question.

“Of course I’m biased,” Daniels said. “You can throw Will’s name right there at the top.”

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