Oakland Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski has unquestionably been one of the most reliable players at his position for almost two decades. After being taken in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft, he has played in 268 games, scored almost 1800 points, and kicked an efficient 80% from the field. His loyalty to the organization earned him a lengthy contract extension worth $19 million back in the summer of 2013.
Things seem to be complicated now though, as reports indicated that Janikowski and the Raiders organization have been embroiled in a contract dispute in regards to his final year with the team. Despite the uncertainty regarding his future with the Raiders, Daniel Brown of Mercury News reported that the kicker was spotted after a workout with the team Tuesday evening:
Surrounded by increasing uncertainty about his Raiders future after 17 seasons, Janikowski walked off the practice field with the rest of the squad after the team’s brief workout.”
The franchise asked Janikowski to take a pay cut from his guaranteed $4.05 million entering the 2017 NFL season and presence at Tuesday’s practice reportedly guaranteed him $238,000. Janikowski has been battling back problems which resulted in him missing half the Raiders preseason games. As a result, the team has reportedly been auditioning kickers in case a resolution can not be reached.
Both Janikowski and the team have a limited time frame to come to a resolution in regards to the kicker’s salary. Otherwise, the Pro Bowler will be guaranteed the rest of his salary come game time against the Tennessee Titans.
