4 Vikings players who could retire after the 2020 season
By Dean Jones
Dan Bailey – K
The Vikings might be looking for a new kicker this offseason regardless of whether Dan Bailey decides to retire or not.
Bailey is still relatively young for a player at the position, but after a year full of turmoil and criticism, there is a chance the veteran might just opt to walk away while there is still some semblance of respect attached to his name.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Vikings cut their losses with Bailey once competitive action concludes this season. He is clearly suffered from some confidence issues in 2020 and even though Mike Zimmer gave him a reprieve after a disastrous outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 14, the head coach isn’t exactly renowned for his patience when it comes to struggling kickers.
This all comes with the territory. Bailey has been through quite a rollercoaster during his time in the NFL and one has to wonder just how much fight the player has left after some demoralizing moments this season.
Bailey has a 70 percent field goal percentage this season, which is a significant drop from the 93.1 percent he attained in 2019. Minnesota would save just under $2 million in salary-cap space if they parted ways with him during the 2021 offseason and if the kicker is let go, he can have no complaints and he may decide that this is the end of the road in terms of his NFL career.