Amid rumors and kicker tryouts, Del Rio addresses Janikowski situation

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ALAMEDA – Raiders kicker Sebastian Janikowski has some injury issues. He hasn’t kicked in a game since Aug. 19, bowing out of the final two preseason games. His absence wasn’t cause for alarm. It’s common for a camp leg to take over and give the veteran some rest.

The Raiders are now heading into the regular-season, and they need a healthy kicker come Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

That’s why they worked out kickers Josh Lambo, Mike Nugent and Marshall Koehn on Monday.

Janikowski has missed four games in 17 seasons and none since 2011, when a hamstring injury sidelined him once.

He was suited up at Wednesday’s practice in pads, and let some kickoffs fly on the side during periods open to the media. It remains uncertain at this stage whether he will be able to play Sunday in Nashville.

“I’m not good about forecasting things. We’ll see how he goes through the workweek,” head coach Jack Del Rio said. “There was concern early in the week, and we’ll need to see how he responds. We had some kickers come in here to make sure we’re prepared in the case that he’s not able to go, that we’re covered.

“I think it was a case that took on a life of its own with reporting and speculating. We’re doing our due diligence. We’ll see how the week goes.”

Del Rio’s referring to an ESPN report stating the Raiders and Janikowski are at a contract impasse. The sports network reports that the Raiders want the 39-year old to take a pay cut. Janikowski is balking at the idea of trimming money off the final season of a four-year contract extension signed in 2014. His $4.05 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed on Saturday.

Janikowski declined comment on Tuesday afternoon.

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