The Minnesota Vikings are on the lookout for a new kicker after releasing Dan Bailey.
Bailey has been with the Vikings since 2018 and had a great year in 2019, making 93.1% of his field goals and 90.9% of his extra points. But 2020 was a disaster for the veteran, with Bailey seeing his field goal percentage drop to a miserly 68.2%, including making only half of his kicks from more than 40 yards.
The Vikings on Tuesday announced that Bailey’s contract has been terminated.
The #Vikings have released K Dan Bailey.
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 9, 2021
Veteran kicker Dan Bailey was due $2.75 million in 2021, including $1.8M that would've become fully guaranteed next week. Instead, he's a free agent. Minnesota saves $1.7M in cap space. https://t.co/rd3RKFr7gq
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 9, 2021
The only kicker listed on the team’s official roster is Greg Joseph, a three-year NFL veteran who has spent the majority of his career on the practice squad, including the entire 2020 season with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 2019, Joseph made all nine extra-point attempts with the Tennessee Titans, while he made 17 of 20 field goals and 25 of 29 extra points in his 2018 rookie season with the Cleveland Browns.
Of his 20 field-goal attempts in 2018, he was perfect from inside 40 yards while going 5 of 7 on kicks 40-49 yards, and 1 of 2 on kicks of 50-plus yards.
It’s unclear if Joseph will be the team’s kicker in 2021, nor is it clear if Joseph is immune to the Curse of Gary Anderson brought forth on the franchise in January 1999.
