Brett Thorson's Week 3 Outlook Continues to Look Grim for Vikings

A Week 3 showdown with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looms for the Minnesota Vikings, who will be doing whatever it takes to improve their record to 3-0. The last time that happened was when the Purple and Gold won five straight games to open the 2024 campaign. That said, any attempts to remain undefeated this weekend could come without rookie punter Brett Thorson.

Vikings fans grew concerned when head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed on Monday that Thorson is dealing with a hamstring injury and needs more testing to determine the severity. Although Minnesota hasn't confirmed anything at the time of writing, it's fair to say that O'Connell & Co. are preparing for the worst-case scenario, judging by their latest actions.

3 punters work out for Vikings on Tuesday (what that means for Brett Thorson's availability)

On Tuesday afternoon, Vikings special teams coordinator Mike Daniels revealed that the team "held a punter workout" earlier in the day, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert. Shortly after that, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo confirmed the attendees' identities as recent Vikings punter Johnny Hekker, journeyman Matt Haack, and undrafted rookie Jack Stonehouse.

The #Vikings worked out three punters today:

—Former All-Pro Johnny Hekker, who was with them this summer
—Veteran Matt Haack
—Rookie Jack Stonehouse https://t.co/TYLU4vV2D0
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 22, 2026

It's hard to imagine the Vikings holding a punter workout if they were confident that Thorson's issue was nothing major and he'd be on the field this Sunday. So, the fact that they brought in three punters (all varying in experience and familiarity) suggests they're bracing for disappointment when the ex-Georgia Bulldog's results come in.

And even if it isn't a trip to the injured list, the Vikings might want to play it safe with a fresh leg rather than potentially worsening Thorson's situation. The UDFA punter was off to a decent start to his NFL career, averaging 45.8 yards per attempt and landing five punts inside the 20-yard line. His season-long 62-yard punt against the Bears in Week 2 is even tied for the 11th-best mark in the league so far, according to Pro Football Focus.

Nevertheless, Thorson's solid start seems on hold for now, with one of the worked-out names likely taking on the punting responsibilities against the Buccaneers.

A trio of options

The most familiar name of the bunch is Hekker, a multi-time All-Pro punter who signed with the Vikings back in March. His best years are behind him, though, leading to him losing the job to Thorson after a back-and-forth battle throughout the summer. That said, Hekker is the most familiar face, and if familiarity is what Daniels and O'Connell value, he's probably the likeliest candidate to sign.

But the Vikings have already seen what Hekker can do, so maybe they want a new but experienced face. Haack fits that bill as a 10-year veteran with 110 games and 21,517 punt yards under his belt. He most recently kicked four punts for the New England Patriots in the preseason, landing three inside the 20-yard line, with his best going for 63 yards.

And if it's youth they're after, the Vikings might lean toward Stonehouse, who joined the Texans as a UDFA but was waived before he could play a single preseason game. Still, the 23-year-old rookie is a two-time All-ACC talent, most recently pacing the conference with 2,780 punting yards in his final year at Syracuse.

No matter who they go with, the Vikings will be dealing with a relative unknown this weekend. Hopefully, whoever gets signed makes the most of the opportunity and plays mistake-free football, giving Minnesota the support it needs until Thorson is healthy and ready to return.

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