Ryan Wright Bio
Ryan Wright is an American professional football punter for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tulane Green Wave from 2018 to 2021. Wright grew up in San Ramon, California, and attended California High School, where he played both punter and quarterback. After going undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft, he signed with the Vikings and has built a steady role as the team’s punter.
Early Life and Background
Ryan Wright was born on June 1, 2000, in San Ramon, California, in the United States. He grew up in the San Ramon Valley and attended California High School, the same program that produced a long list of Northern California athletes. His early athletic identity was shaped in this Bay Area community, where football holds a strong tradition at the high school level.
At California High School, Wright was a multi-faceted player. In addition to his work as a punter, he lined up at quarterback on varsity during his junior and senior seasons. Coaches used him in that role to take advantage of his composure and his ability to handle pressure. Those responsibilities helped him develop the field vision and decision-making that later translated into his professional punting career.
His experience as a prep quarterback gave him an unusually complete understanding of coverage units, field position, and opposing return games. By the time he finished high school, he had established himself as a dependable specialist and a respected leader in the locker room, which set the stage for a college recruitment process that led him out of California to the Gulf South.
Path to American Football
Wright’s college path began at Tulane University, home of the Tulane Green Wave. He joined the program in 2018 and spent four seasons developing his game in the American Athletic Conference. The move from a Bay Area high school to a Conference USA-style program in New Orleans required adjustment, but Wright quickly found a role on special teams.
Through the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons, he refined his technique under the Tulane staff, focusing on hang time, directional kicking, and placement. By the end of his senior year, that work paid off with a First-team All-AAC selection in 2021, the highest individual recognition of his college career. The honor confirmed him as one of the top punters in his conference and put him on the radar of NFL scouts.
Despite the All-AAC nod, Wright went undrafted in the 2022 NFL draft. His path to the professional ranks depended on signing as a priority free agent and earning a roster spot in training camp. That route is familiar to many specialists, and it set up a critical summer with the Minnesota Vikings.
Ryan Wright Career
Early Career (2022)
Wright signed a three-year, $2.5 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings on April 30, 2022, immediately after the draft. He arrived with a chance to compete against incumbent punter Jordan Berry, who had handled the role for the previous two seasons in Minnesota. The Vikings’ training camp in 2022 became a direct competition between the rookie and the veteran.
On August 25, 2022, the Vikings released Berry, leaving Wright as the lone punter on the roster. The decision handed the rookie the full-time job and gave him the chance to handle every punt for the team in his first NFL season. The promotion marked the clearest early validation of his professional trajectory.
NFL Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Wright’s first big league moment came in Week 6 of the 2022 season against the Miami Dolphins, when he delivered a 10-punt performance that included a career-long 73-yard kick. That showing earned him the National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week award and announced his arrival as a reliable NFL punter. The 73-yarder was a milestone that he later cited as one of his earliest confidence-building moments in the league.
As a rookie, he punted 73 times for 3,457 total yards, posting a 47.36-yard average across the 2022 season. He handled punting duties in every game and quickly earned a reputation for consistent hang time and directional control. The strong finish to his first year helped secure his hold on the job heading into 2023.
In the 2023 season, Wright punted 59 times for 2,886 total yards, raising his average to 48.92 yards per attempt. The improvement in per-punt production showed that his rookie year was not a flash, but the beginning of a steady upward curve. His two-year body of work established him as a long-term answer at the position for the Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings Era (2022–Present)
Wright has been the Minnesota Vikings’ punter since the start of the 2022 season and has continued in that role through the 2023 and 2024 campaigns. His place on the roster reflects the trust of the coaching staff and the special teams coordinator, and his statistics have remained consistent with the top tier of NFL punters. He has also been active off the field, with public profiles on Instagram and X, where he engages with fans and shares glimpses of his routine.
On March 9, 2025, Wright re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year, $1.75 million contract. The new deal kept him in Minnesota for the 2025 season and underlined the organization’s view of him as a core special teams player. It also extended a relationship with the franchise that has now spanned multiple seasons.
Driving Style and Strengths
Wright’s game is built around directional punting, hang time, and placement rather than raw distance alone. As a former high school quarterback, he reads coverage units and gunners with a calm, processing style, and he works closely with the Vikings’ long snapper and holder to control field position. His background as a signal-caller helps him anticipate pressure and adjust protection calls when needed.
Notable Events and Milestones
His signature early-career moment is the Week 6, 2022 performance against the Miami Dolphins, where his career-long 73-yard punt was part of a 10-punt day that earned him NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. Going from undrafted free agent to a multi-year NFL starter in the same season remains the defining milestone of his career to date.
Ryan Wright Career Wins
As a punter, Wright’s statistical milestones are measured in gross average, net average, punts inside the 20, and special teams awards rather than traditional win totals. He has been recognized as the National Football Conference Special Teams Player of the Week and was named First-team All-AAC in 2021 at Tulane. These honors reflect the standard he has set at both the college and professional levels.
NFL Highlights
Wright’s most notable NFL highlight is the 2022 Week 6 game against the Miami Dolphins, in which he set his career long with a 73-yard punt while handling ten total punts. He also reached the 2022 season averaging 47.36 yards per punt across 73 attempts, then improved to a 48.92-yard average on 59 punts in 2023. His Week 6 award remains the most visible recognition of his work in the league.
Other Wins & Performances
Wright’s signature pre-professional recognition came in 2021, when he was named First-team All-AAC after four seasons with the Tulane Green Wave. That selection, combined with a senior season spent as the Green Wave’s primary punter and occasional holder, helped him reach the NFL as an undrafted free agent. The All-AAC honor remains the headline college award of his career.
Ryan Wright Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Wright grew up in San Ramon, California, and his athletic foundation was built at California High School. He is an American by nationality and was raised in the Bay Area, a region known for producing a deep talent pool of football specialists. The family supported his early transition into both punting and quarterbacking at the high school level.
Personal Life
Wright is a United States citizen who was born and raised in San Ramon, California. He stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and has played at a listed playing weight of 245 pounds, a frame that matches the physical demands of an NFL punter. He maintains a public presence on Instagram and X, where he is known to his fans as Ryan Wright.
2025 Season Performance
Wright re-signed with the Minnesota Vikings on March 9, 2025, on a one-year, $1.75 million contract, locking in his role as the team’s punter for the 2025 campaign. The new deal followed a strong 2023 season in which he posted a 48.92-yard gross average and continued to show progress in directional kicking. With roster stability secured, the 2025 season offers him a chance to build on that momentum and push his career averages higher.
Heading into 2025, Wright’s relationship with the Vikings’ special teams staff remains the foundation of his production. The familiarity built over three prior seasons gives him a clear edge in timing with the long snapper and in reading opposing return units. That continuity is a major reason the organization prioritized bringing him back rather than exploring the free agent market.
The outlook for Wright in 2025 centers on consistency, improvement in net punting average, and another push for weekly conference recognition. With his rookie NFL award already in hand and his averages trending upward, he has the platform to establish himself among the most dependable punters in the NFC. A strong 2025 season would further cement his long-term future in Minnesota and add to a young career that has already exceeded his undrafted expectations.