Sebastian Janikowski is alive and kicking. Has been kicking since Week 8 last season, in fact.
And the man known to his teammates as "Seabass" intends to keep on kicking after 19 years, a Raiders franchise record 268 games and approximately $46 million in salary and bonus money.
"When I got healthy, I thought I was going to come back and kick, but that obviously wasn't the plan," Janikowski said Wednesday by phone in an exclusive interview with the Bay Area News Group. "I mean, it's a business. I've been doing this for so long. I know what's going on."
Janikowski, who turns 40 on March 2, had not ruled out returning to the Raiders until Valentine's Day when he got a call from his agent informing him that the team was going in another direction.
The team's No. 1 draft pick in 2000 (17th overall), Janikowski spent all of 2017 on injured reserve. A back injury before the regular-season opener put him there and he stayed there as Giorgio Tavecchio handled place-kicking duties.
Since there had been no discussions regarding a new contract, Janikowski wasn't surprised by the news he received on Valentine's Day. He'd talked with new coach Jon Gruden _ the man who coached the Raiders when Janikowski was a rookie _ but said those conversations were congratulatory in nature and there were no discussions beyond that.
Both Janikowski and the Raiders have issued statements regarding his departure, with gratitude expressed on both sides.
Janikowski admits Gruden's return piqued his interest in coming back for another season in Silver and Black.
"I mean, there's always going to be sentimental feelings," Janikowski said. "I would like to, but after being in the NFL so long and understanding the business, you've got to move on. The Raider Nation has always supported me and I love it."
During the course of an interview, Janikowski talked about the circumstances of his injury last season, his thoughts on Gruden's return and how difficult it was to watch the Raiders play so poorly in 2017:
