NFL kicker Sebastian Janikowski announces retirement after 19 seasons

After nearly two decades in the NFL, kicker Sebastian Janikowski has called it a career.

Veteran NFL kicker Sebastian Janikowski announced his retirement on Sunday, bring to a close a career that has spanned 19, and yet only two teams.

Janikowski, the Oakland Raiders’ first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft (17th overall), spent his first 18 seasons with the black-and-silver (missing 2017 with a back injury), only moving on in 2018 and spending what became his final season with the Seattle Seahawks. He made 22 of his 27 field goal attempts and 48 of his 51 extra-point tries in 2018.

On his career, Janikowski has made 80.4 percent of his 542 field goal attempts and 98.5 percent of his extra points, ranking him 49th and 47th all-time at each. In 2010, he led the league in field goals attempted and made, at 44 and 33, respectively. He’s also in the top-10 of all-time points scorers, with 1,913, and is also in the top 10 all-time for field goals attempted and made.

Janikowski broke the news himself to ESPN, and added that “cab driver” will be his new profession — as in, the personal driver to take his three daughters to school.

Janikowski was only the third kicker in league history selected in the first round of the NFL Draft and tops the all-time earnings list at his position, at just under $53.3 million. Despite his longevity and clutch ability, he’s been named to the Pro Bowl only once, in 2011. He could, however, have a case for the Hall of Fame. Only three kickers (and one punter) have been enshrined in Canton thus far.

With Janikowski’s retirement, only one player from the 2000 NFL Draft remains in the league: New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. As we all know, Brady had to wait a lot longer to hear his name called that year, as he was taken in Round 6, at pick 199.