The Minnesota Vikings have offered a contract to Greg Joseph, a restricted free agent kicker. This is a first step towards stabilizing a team in a difficult position.
Joseph received the right-of-first-refusal tender on Monday. This is a $2.433 million, one-year deal. It gives the Vikings the opportunity to match any offer sheet Joseph receives from another club. This move does not include draft pick compensation, which is the lowest level of four that the NFL offers restricted free agents.
Joseph was 33 for 38 on field goal attempts (86.8%), and 36 for 40 for extra points (90%) in his first season. He made seven of his nine attempts from 50 yards or more, which is the second-most successful attempt in this range in franchise history. Joseph was also the league’s leader in touchback rates (80.9%), landing 76 of his 95 kickoffs deep enough into the end zone that opponents didn’t return them.
Joseph’s low point was a one-point loss at Arizona on Sept. 19, when he missed an attempt from 37 yards as the clock expired. He bounced back with two game-ending wins to defeat Detroit on Oct. 10, and Green Bay on November 21. Joseph was 20-21 on field goals in the 11 previous games.
South African native Joseph, 27, joined the Vikings as their fifth kicker after six seasons in 2021. Joseph played in 2018 with Cleveland, Tennessee and was on the practice squad for Tampa Bay in 2020.
