The NFL has admitted to Cablegate after a Vikings kick went askew after hitting a camera cable, but the kicker can't be happy with the outcome
09:43 ET, 12 Oct 2025
Will Reichard of Minnesota Vikings
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The NFL has admitted Will Reichard's kick did hit a camera cable(Image: Getty Images)
The NFL has found itself in hot water after admitting that Vikings kicker Will Reichard’s missed field goal attempt was because of a camera cable in the way - but has flatly refused to do anything about it.
The controversy stems from a 51-yard attempt in the fourth quarter of their London game last week against the Cleveland Browns. The trajectory of the kick looks hard to see, but it seems now a rogue camera cable was responsible, throwing its trajectory off to the right and outside of the target.
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According to Pro Football Talk, officials and league review failed to notice the contact, which, under the rules, should have triggered a replay, and the kick would have been retaken.
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Reichard, through his agent, and the Vikings front office formally requested that the NFL remove the miss from his seasonal stats. The league acknowledged the error, admitting the kick had indeed hit the cable, but declined to adjust the record.
In a heartbreaking move for the kicker, his stat line will no longer have a perfect record because of the “miss” and will now read 8-of-9.
Fans at the time were unable to see the clip, with the camera work at the stadium too slow to pan up to capture the clash with the wire at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in North London.
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Speaking on the controversy earlier in the week, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said: “ "But other than maybe somebody in the booth alerting me that they saw it, or Will himself is going to be a critical guy in that moment, but a lot of times a kicker is a lot like a golf swing, they're keeping their head down and they might not see it initially.
"He told me he thought he hit it well, and Will doesn't end up that far off line, historically, since our time having him here. But yeah, not really sure what to say on that one other than that it was unfortunate if it did happen, and if it didn't, so be it."
Luckily for the Vikings, it didn’t have an effect on the actual result of the game with a last-minute touchdown sealing the win in what turned out to be a tight 21-17 game.
Kevin O'Connell
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Kevin O'Connell talked about the controversy after the game(Image: AP)
The kicker will have nearly two weeks to recover from the incident with the Vikings on a bye week this weekend before the Eagles head to the U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, October 19.
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Although the change in Reichard’s record seems like a relatively small move, the NFL seems to be holding firm, putting an end to what has come to be known as cablegate.