It took two weeks of the preseason, but the Minnesota Vikings have made 2018 NFL Draft selection Daniel Carlson their kicker by releasing Kai Forbath.
Coming into training camp, it’s not a surprise that Daniel Carlson was considered the favorite to become the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings since the team traded up into the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select him.
His competition was stiff. Veteran kicker Kai Forbath put forth some solid games during his two seasons in Minnesota, but the writing was on the wall, especially after Forbath missed a field goal try in the second preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The decision to move on from Forbath seemed apparent when the team didn’t bring Forbath back into the game to attempt any more kicks after his miss, and even tried a pop-up kick on a kickoff with Carlson instead of having him boot a kick through the end zone.
The news came down on Monday, August 20, 2018 that the team has released Kai Forbath on the official website of the Vikings, making Carlson the team’s kicker for the 2018 NFL season.
Carlson joins a group of specialists including punter and holder Ryan Quigley as well as long snapper Kevin McDermott. At 28 years old each, Quigley and McDermott are the veteran specialists, with Carlson only being 23.
If fans didn’t know any better, Carlson can easily be mistaken for a quarterback, wide receiver, or tight end. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 223 pounds, his frame is significantly larger than that of the average kicker.
However, investing so much in a rookie kicker on a team with Super Bowl hopes can be a massive gamble. Carlson may have a big leg and has shown to be accurate in the past, but the question of how he will react in stressful situations with the game on the line, even in the playoffs, has yet to be seen.
Congratulations to Daniel Carlson on becoming the new kicker for the Minnesota Vikings. The Viking Age would also like to thank Kai Forbath for his time with the team and wish him nothing but the best on his future endeavors.