Ex-Raiders K Sebastian Janikowski, Seahawks Reportedly Agree to 1-Year Contract

The Seattle Seahawks and free-agent kicker Sebastian Janikowski reportedly reached an agreement Friday on a one-year contract. 

Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported details of the signing.

Janikowski spent the first 18 years of his career with the Oakland Raiders, who selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2000 NFL draft.

The 40-year-old Florida State product connected on 80.4 percent of his 515 field-goal attempts with the Raiders, including 55 percent of his kicks from beyond 50 yards. His 1,799 points and 268 games are both franchise records.

He missed the entire 2017 season with back problems, however, and solid play from his replacement, Giorgio Tavecchio, led the Raiders not to re-sign their stalwart kicker.

Janikowski told Jerry McDonald of the Bay Area News Group in February he was back to full strength and wanted to keep playing.

"I've been kicking since Week 8 last year," he said. "I'm doing more than I usually do this time of year. I usually wait until the beginning of April. Hopefully it will be a new beginning, a new city. I've got some goals to accomplish and I love what I do. I miss it."

In all, he ranked third among kickers in Approximate Value during his time with the Raiders behind only Adam Vinatieri and Phil Dawson, according to Pro Football Reference.

Seeing Janikowski kick in a uniform other than Oakland's trademark silver and black is going to take awhile to get used to for longtime NFL fans. That said, he wasn't prepared to enter retirement and the Seahawks gave him a chance to extend his career.

Although it's hard to know exactly what to expect after he sat out all of last season, it's a low-risk signing for Seattle given his solid track record. The team may keep Jason Myers on the roster to serve as competition during training camp and the preseason, though.