If you can’t beat ’em, try to catch up by joining together some of their discarded players. That seems to be the strategy the Minnesota Vikings are taking with their specialists.
The Vikings have added two former Lions to their roster in kicker John Parker Romo and long snapper Jake McQuaide. Thanks to injuries, Minnesota will be starting both in their Week 10 trip to Jacksonville.
Romo was with the Lions in the 2023 offseason and had some moments in training camp and preseason, but ultimately lost out on the gig to Riley Patterson. McQuaide played the final nine games for the Lions in 2023 after the team lost Scott Daly to injury. The veteran lost his 2024 camp battle with undrafted rookie Hogan Hatten, who has been very sharp in Detroit thus far.
Minnesota signed Romo this week to replace rookie wunderkind Will Reichard. McQuaide was added to the Vikings practice squad, but will take over for injured Andrew DePaolo. He and Romo were never in Detroit together, but the Vikings kicking unit will still have a lot of Lions flavor this week.