SEATTLE _ The Seahawks added to their kicking corps on Friday by signing veteran Sebastian Janikowski to a one-year contract. The team officially announced the signing Friday afternoon.
Janikowski visited earlier this week with the Seahawks wanting to make sure he was healthy after missing all of last season with a back injury. Seattle got the answers it wanted and will bring in Janikowski to compete with Jason Myers, who was signed in January.
Janikowski, a first-round pick of the Raiders in 2000 out of Florida State, is the 11th-leading scorer in NFL history and has made an NFL-record 55 field goals of 50 yards or longer during 17 seasons with the Raiders.
Oakland announced earlier this year he would not be re-signed after he missed all of the 2017 season, with the Raiders instead going with Giorgio Tavecchio.
Janikowski and Myers will battle to replace Blair Walsh, who held that job last season on a one-year contract but won't be back after making 21 of 29 field goals, with critical misses in close losses to Washington, Atlanta and Arizona.
The 26-year-old Myers was 64 of 79 on field goals (81 percent) and 76 of 88 on point-after attempts (86.4 percent) in 38 games with Jacksonville and was released in October following three misses that proved critical in two losses (all from 52 yards or longer).
Janikowski last kicked in 2016 when he made 29 of 35 field goals, including 26 of 27 from inside 50 yards, 82.9 percent, better than his career average of 80.4.
As a vested veteran of more than 10 years Janikowski would have to be paid at least $1.015 million by the Seahawks but could have a cap hit of just $630,000, per the rules of the league's collective bargaining agreement.
Myers signed a one-year deal with a base salary and cap hit of $705,000 that includes no dead money.
Janikowski also has a relationship with Seattle special teams coach Brian Schneider, who was the special teams coach of the Raiders in 2007-08.
