Vikings punter Ryan Wright shook off the rough game, when his only chance to punt ended in a 15-yard shank against the Bears, and shined with all of the opportunity in Sunday's win against the Dolphins.
Vikings punter Ryan Wright named NFC special teams player of the week
Wright, the undrafted rookie, joins kicker Greg Joseph as both Vikings specialists have been named conference player of the week this season.
October 19, 2022 at 10:02PM
Wright, the undrafted rookie out of Tulane, was called upon to punt 10 times, and he maintained a 44.1-yard average while pinning six inside the Dolphins' 20-yard line. The effort earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, the league announced Wednesday, marking the first such honor for Wright and second for Vikings specialists this season. Kicker Greg Joseph was recognized with the award after a Week 4 win against the Saints.
Wright's second punt in Miami came from the Vikings' end zone and stopped rolling 73 yards away, tied for the fifth-longest punt in franchise history, at the Dolphins' 18-yard line.
Through six games, Wright and the Vikings' coverage team are pinning 55.5% of punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, which leads the NFL. Wright is also one of six punters without a touchback.
- The Vikings signed rookie linebacker Benton Whitley off Kansas City's practice squad. He was undrafted out of Holy Cross, signed with the Rams, and was waived in August before the Chiefs added him.
- The Vikings also re-signed receiver Blake Proehl to the practice squad. Proehl, the 2021 undrafted signing and son of ex-NFL receiver Ricky Proehl, recently recovered from multiple torn ligaments in his knee last year.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
