Vikings Release K Blair Walsh
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Blair Walsh's days as a kicker for the Minnesota Vikings are over.
The Vikings announced Tuesday morning that Walsh has been released. The Vikings brought in six kickers last week after Walsh missed an extra point and had a field goal blocked.
We have released K Blair Walsh. pic.twitter.com/bNR5t44ZWJ
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 15, 2016
Walsh also missed an extra point in Sunday's loss to the Redskins. He leads the NFL with four missed extra points this year (15-of-19) and is also 12-of-16 on field goal tries this season. He had an errant kickoff against the Lions two weeks ago that helped them get enough field position for a game-tying field goal as time expired. The Lions won the game in overtime.
Walsh hasn't been the same since missing a short field goal against the Seahawks in the playoffs last year. He was in his fifth season with the Vikings after being drafted in 2012. Walsh was in the first year of a four-year contract extension worth $13 million.
It appears 29-year old Kai Forbath will be the new Vikings kicker, starting Sunday as the Vikings host the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. He is the second most accurate kicker in Washington Redskins history and was last with New Orleans, where he kicked last season.
Forbath was released before the season began in favor of a younger, cheaper kicker.