By Bob Condotta
The Seattle Times
The Seahawks’ search for a replacement for Blair Walsh will include getting a visit from one of the best-known and productive kickers in NFL history, Sebastian Janikowski, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter Monday afternoon.
Schefter reported that Janikowski, a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2000 out of Florida State, is scheduled to fly to Seattle to meet with the Seahawks on Tuesday.
Seattle signed Jason Myers in January as a candidate to replace Walsh, who became an unrestricted free agent after the 2017 season and will not be back after a season in which he missed critical field goals in losses to Atlanta, Washington and in the season finale against Arizona.
The 26-year-old Myers was 64 of 79 on field goals (81 percent) and 76 of 88 on point-after attempts (86.4 percent) in 38 games with Jacksonville and was released in October following three misses that proved critical in two losses (all from 52 yards or longer).
Seattle coach Pete Carroll said at the NFL Combine earlier this year that the team was expected to sign another kicker for competition and the interest in Janikowski makes clear the Seahawks are pursuing all options to try to get a steadier kicking situation in 2018.
Janikowski is the 11th-leading scorer in NFL history and has made an NFL-record 55 field goals of 50 yards or longer during 17 seasons with the Raiders.
But he also turned 40 on March 2 and missed all of last season on Injured Reserve with a back issue. Assessing his health will undoubtedly be a big part of Janikowski’s visit to the VMAC on Tuesday.
Uncertainty about his health played into the decision of the Raiders earlier this year to not bring Janikowski back for 2018, with Oakland recently re-signing Giorgio Tavecchio as his replacement. Janikowski last year finished the final season of a four-year contract and became an unrestricted free agent in March.
But when Janikowski was last healthy he was still productive, making 29 of 35 field goals in 2016, including 26-27 from inside 50 yards, 82.9 percent, better than his career average of 80.4.
As a vested veteran of more than 10 years Janikowski would have to be paid at least $1.015 million by the Seahawks but could have a cap hit of just $630,000, per the rules of the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Myers signed a one-year deal with a base salary and cap hit of $705,000 that includes no dead money.
Janikowski also has a background with Seattle special teams coach Brian Schneider, who was the special teams coach of the Raiders from 2007-08.
