Vikings’ Will Reichard Nails Record 59-Yard Field Goal Amid Halftime Chaos

CHICAGO, Ill. — Will Reichard achieved a remarkable feat during the Minnesota Vikings‘ game against the Chicago Bears on Monday, successfully kicking a 59-yard field goal in the closing seconds of the first half. This impressive kick came after mounting confusion over the ball’s placement by game officials.

With just a few moments remaining before halftime, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell utilized his final timeout to set up the kick. Initially, the team believed the field goal would be a 53- or 54-yarder based on the ball’s placement near the 36-yard line. However, officials later spotted the ball at the 41-yard line, creating extra pressure for Reichard.

Reichard had previously indicated his maximum range to his special teams coordinator, Matt Daniels, was 57 yards, but this kick would require more. “Actually,” Reichard noted, “they respotted it twice. I didn’t know what was happening.” As chaos ensued, O’Connell faced a decision: pull the offense back onto the field or stick with Reichard.

“Do we hockey line-change and get the offense back on?” O’Connell pondered, weighing the risk of a procedure penalty against the need for a solid kick. Ultimately, with encouragement from Daniels, O’Connell decided to leave Reichard on the field.

“The mental aspect that goes into that as a kicker… for Will to go out and execute in that situation says a lot about who he is as a kicker,” Daniels stated. With the wind at his back, Reichard launched the kick, earning him a new place in Soldier Field’s history.

Prior to this moment, only one player had ever made a field goal longer than 58 yards at Soldier Field, Matt Prater, who kicked a 59-yarder for the Detroit Lions in January 2016. Reichard’s successful kick not only etched his name into the record books but also showcased his resilience under pressure.

“Actually,” Reichard remarked about his kick, “I didn’t hit it as well as I wanted to. It was lower than I wanted, but good enough.” His achievement came amid performance concerns for several NFL kickers, making his success even more noteworthy.