Minnesota Vikings Sign Blair Walsh To Contract Extension
Good news, Blair Walsh fans! Walsh will be around with the Minnesota Vikings for a lot longer after the team announced they signed the kicker to an extension on Sunday. The new extension eliminates Walsh going into a contract season.
The 25-year-old kicker reportedly was given a four-year deal worth $14 million with $5.25 million guaranteed. As 1500ESPN points out, this puts Walsh in the top paid kickers category his average salary per year, $3.25 million, ranks him fourth throughout the NFL.
Walsh took to Twitter after the deal was announced:
Excited to sign a contract extension and be a part of the @Vikings future! #SKOL
— Blair Walsh (@BlairWalsh3) July 26, 2015
Thank you to the Wilf Family, Rick Spielman, Rob Brzezinski, coach Zimmer, coach Priefer and the entire @Vikings organization!
— Blair Walsh (@BlairWalsh3) July 26, 2015
2015 will be the fourth season in purple for Walsh. The Vikings selected the former Georgia Bulldogs kicker in the sixth round of the 2012 Draft.
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Walsh’s insane rookie season got him All-Pro honors and was his best season with a 92.1% field goal make percentage.
Last season was Walsh’s worst in a small three-year sample, nonetheless. 2014 was Walsh’s first professional season playing home games outside with the Vikings temporarily being at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. Walsh will have to face that challenge again this upcoming season, but won’t in 2016 as the Vikings move into their own bank, U.S. Bank Stadium on the site of the former Metrodome.
In 2015, Walsh had a 74.3% field goal percentage making 26 kicks out of an attempted 35. Walsh did go a perfect 29-for-29 on extra points a season ago. Six of Walsh’s misses from a year ago were over 40 yards in length.
Signing the kicker to an extension is a pretty good way to kick off the festivities in Mankato.
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