Brett Thorson's Week 3 Injury Uncertainty Could Have Vikings Turning to a Familiar Face

Could a reunion be in the cards if Minnesota's punter is forced to miss time?

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels and the Vikings could bring back a familiar punter if UDFA rookie Brett Thorson can't suit up in Week 3. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Minnesota Vikings enter a new week with a pep in their step thanks to a defensively dominant performance against the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Being 2-0 and in first place in the NFC North gives Minnesota fans plenty to cheer about. However, the time for celebration won't last forever, as a Week 3 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is quickly emerging over the horizon—a contest the Purple and Gold may have to play without punter Brett Thorson.

While head coach Kevin O'Connell's list of injury updates wasn't long on Monday afternoon, the Vikings' 41-year-old bench boss revealed that Thorson, who joined the team as a 2026 undrafted free agent, is dealing with a hamstring injury that "will be further examined," according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

Two injuries to monitor this week, per Kevin O'Connell....

P Brett Thorson (hamstring) will be further examined.

DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (hip) is day to day.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) September 21, 2026

The Athletic's Alec Lewis clarified that, although Thorson finished Week 2, he "reported some soreness in his hamstring" after arriving at the team facilities on Monday.

Regardless of when the injury happened, Minnesota would prefer to avoid an extended absence. The 2025 Ray Guy Award winner for best punter in college football currently owns the 21st-best punt grade (61.7) among 32 qualified players on Pro Football Focus and is tied for the third-most attempts to land inside the 20-yard line (five). His best punt of the year traveled 62 yards, which ties him for the ninth-longest effort.

But if the MRI results come back with bad news, the Vikings could be without Thorson for Week 3 (or longer), potentially forcing them to reunite with former Purple and Gold punter Johnny Hekker.

Johnny Hekker could be on Vikings' radar after Brett Thorson injury news

Vikings fans will remember that it wasn't too long ago when O'Connell and special teams coordinator Mike Daniels were still figuring out who the No. 1 punter would be. Before Minnesota signed Thorson after April's draft, the team signed Hekker to a one-year contract in March, banking on him to fill the void created by ex-punter Ryan Wright joining the Saints on a four-year, $14 million deal in free agency.

Looking to play his 15th NFL season, Hekker seemed like a more-than-viable solution for the Vikings' punting needs.

The 36-year-old veteran is a former Super Bowl Champion who's made six All-Pro teams (including four first-team nods), two Pro Bowls, and was the league's punting yards leader twice. At the same time, Hekker hasn't earned an individual accolade since 2018 and, after an uninspiring 2025 performance (40.3 net yards per punt), no one blamed the Vikings for bringing in a backup plan.

No one can deny Johnny Hekker's list of accolades, but it's safe to say that his best days are behind him, which forced the Vikings to sign Brett Thorson earlier in the offseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Vikings eventually chose Thorson instead of Hekker, focusing on youth over experience.

Now we're entering the last week of September, and there's a decent chance that the Bothwell, WA native could make his way back to Minnesota. He's still an unsigned free agent, and NFL coaches love familiarity, and it isn't far-fetched to imagine the Vikings wanting to roll with a known commodity rather than an unknown until Thorson is back, whether that's in a week or longer.

Besides, Hekker wasn't all that bad this summer, earning a 72.5 PFF punt grade after averaging 48.2 yards on nine attempts with an average hang time of 4.41 seconds. That said, Thorson averaged slightly more net yards (41.5) than Hekker (40.0) and had only four of his eight punts returned compared to the UDFA rookie, who saw opponents return six of his nine attempts.

Time will reveal what happens next

It's way too early to talk about Thorson losing his job, especially since he's been solid, but his potential absence could be the perfect opportunity for Hekker to show that he still has 'it.'

The elder punter might not have much of a future in Purple and Gold, but he can extend his NFL career by stepping up and filling in for Thorson, potentially showing other punter-needy teams that his leg is still good enough to help them.

Again, the Vikings' punter situation will remain a question mark until they get Thorson's MRI results. If it looks like he's out for a decent chunk of time, though, don't be surprised if the franchise isn't finished with Hekker just yet.

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