Sebastian Janikowski’s long run with the Oakland Raiders appears to be coming to an end.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that the Raiders told Janikowski that they are not planning to bring him back next season. Janikowski is set to be a free agent when the new league year begins next month.
Janikowski, who was a first-round pick by the team in 2000, did not play last season because of a back injury. Giorgio Tavecchio served as the Raiders’ kicker for the season in his place.
Janikowski is turning 40 in March, but this does not necessarily mean his NFL career will be over if he wants to keep kicking. In 2016, Janikowski made 82.9 percent of his field goal attempts. The number is a little skewed because he attempts so many long-distance kicks due to his leg strength, and five of his misses came from the 50-plus range. There is always some team that has kicking problems that could be interested. Perhaps the Chargers?
