Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski still on roster, guaranteeing Week 1 pay

ByPaul Gutierrez ESPN logo
Wednesday, September 6, 2017

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Sebastian Janikowski remained on the Oakland Raiders' roster Tuesday afternoon, guaranteeing the kicker $238,000 of his $4.05 million salary for the 2017 season.

The $238,000 represents one-seventeenth of Janikowski's salary, or one week's check. The remainder of his salary becomes guaranteed Saturday at 1 p.m. PT if he remains on the roster with his current contract.

A source familiar with the situation told ESPN's Adam Schefter that the Raiders want Janikowski -- the franchise's all-time leading scorer -- to take a pay cut, but he so far has declined. Janikowski, 39, is purportedly dealing with a back injury that kept him out of the Raiders' final two exhibition games.

Oakland, meanwhile, worked out three kickers on Monday: Mike Nugent, Josh Lambo and Marshall Koehn.

Janikowski said during mandatory minicamp in June that he wanted to kick for the Raiders when they move to Las Vegas in 2020.

And when asked how long he wanted to kick for the Raiders, he said, "Until they kick me out."

Janikowski's 1,799 points are the 10th most in NFL history, and his 268 games played and 17 seasons are Raiders records. In 2011, his 63-yard field goal atDenvertied the record for longest in league history at the time. He has converted 80.4 percent of his career field goal attempts and 98.9 percent of his extra point attempts.

His 55 field goals of at least 50 yards are an NFL record.

Oakland did make roster moves on Tuesday. The team placed second-round draft pick Obi Melifonwu, who has been battling a knee injury, and offensive lineman Denver Kirkland, who suffered a leg injury in the preseason, on injured reserve.

Melifonwu and Kirkland can return no earlier than Week 8.

The Raiders signed linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster, who was with Oakland in the preseason, and safety Erik Harris, who spent 2016 with the New Orleans Saintsandappeared in four games.

Also, starting cornerback David Amerson, who was injured in the third exhibition atDallas, is off the concussion protocol and in line to play Sunday in the season opener at the Tennessee Titans.