Vikings sign kicker Kai Forbath after release of Blair Walsh

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - The Minnesota Vikings have signed free agent kicker Kai Forbath, one day after releasing Blair Walsh. Forbath played at UCLA with Vikings punter Jeff Locke and longsnapper Kevin McDermott from 2008-10.  

Forbath has 5 years of NFL experience, most recently kicking for the Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints over 11 games in 2015. Forbath made 10-of-15 field goals and 35-of-36 extra points in 2015. 

The Vikings worked out 6 kickers -- Forbath, Randy Bullock, Zach Hocker, Travis Coons, Aldrick Rosas and Marshall Koehn following the team’s Week 9 overtime loss to the Detroit Lions. In that game, Blair Walsh missed an extra point, had a field goal blocked, and sent a kickoff out of bounds for a penalty.

After previously working out free agent kickers, the Vikings decided to stick with Walsh for at least one more week.

Blair Walsh's Vikings career

The Vikings signed Walsh to a 4-year contract extension in July 2015, worth up to $14 million. A 6th round NFL Draft pick out of Georgia in 2012, Walsh had made 12 of 16 field goals this season and was 15 of 19 on extra points. Walsh made 133 of 158 (84.2 percent) of his field goals during his Vikings career with a career-long of 56 yards.

The infamous miss

Walsh's 27-yard field goal attempt in the 2015 playoffs sailed wide left with 22 seconds remaining, sending the Seattle Seahawks to the NFC Championship game with a 10-9 win. Walsh shouldered the blame for the loss, but was showered with notes of consolation and encouragement from former Vikings players and elementary school students.