Still Kicking

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

For a placekicker in the National Football League there is no such thing as job security.

At any moment you could be cut, traded or demoted. For proof, look no further than the career of 33-year-old Kai Forbath.

He began the 2020 season as a free agent after being released by the Dallas Cowboys on August 1 before having the opportunity to compete for a position now filled by Greg Zuerlein. That despite Forbath converting 10-of-10 field goal attempts and 10-of-10 extra points since re-signing with Dallas (the team that drafted him as an unsigned free agent in 2011) last December after the Cowboys  let go Brett Maher.

On August 19 Forbath had a try out with the Cleveland Browns and on August 30 he was one of eight free agents who tried out for the Arizona Cardinals.

In 81 career games Forbath, nicknamed “Cobra Kai,” has made 131 of 151 field goal tries (86.8 percent) and 183 of 195 extra point attempts (93.8 percent). The latest chapter in Forbath’s topsy-turvy story can be titled the waiting game, as he hopes to be picked up by another NFL team. He may get a chance sooner than later after a crazy opening week.

Cleveland released Austin Seibert Monday, a day after he missed  a 41-yard field goal and an extra point in a 38-6 loss to Baltimore.

The Browns subsequently placed kicker Cody Parkey on their 53-man roster. On Tuesday, Seibert joined Cincinnati via a waiver claim after Bengals kicker Randy Bullock injured his left calf on a missed 31-yard field goal try that would have sent Sunday’s game against San Diego into overtime. Cincinnati travels to Cleveland in a key AFC North matchup tonight.

Another kicker who did not survive Week 1 was Kaare Vedvik of the New York Jets, who was released after missing an extra point and a 45-yard field goal in Sunday’s 17-16 loss to the Bills. New York quickly signed former Green Bay kicker Sam Ficken to replace Vedvik.   

Forbath was on the Cowboys’ roster in 2011, but was injured for all of camp and parts of the regular season. He signed with the Washington Redskins in 2012 and spent three years with that organization before joining New Orleans in 2015. He spent 2016 and 2017 in Minnesota, a stint that included a six field goal game against Baltimore. Forbath played three games for Jacksonville in 2018, making four of five field goals tries. He signed with New England in November 2019 but played only one game for the Patriots last year before signing with the Cowboys to finish out the regular season.

On November 29, 2015, while playing for the Saints, Forbath kicked a career-long 57-yard field goal against the Houston Texans.

Forbath grew up in the Highlands and was an aspiring soccer star before beoming an All-CIF punter and kicker at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, where he led the Knights to three consecutive CIF football titles.

Forbath then took his talent to UCLA  and established himself as one of the best kickers in the nation. In his four years with the Bruins he made 84 percent of his field goal tries and finished his career in Westwood as the second-leading scorer in UCLA history. As a junior he won the Lou Groza Award as the NCAA’s best kicker and he was selected to numerous All-American teams. As a senior, he booted a game-winning 51-yard field goal with no time left to beat Oregon State, 17-14.

Now an eight-year NFL veteran who also has 147 touchbacks, Forbath is ready for a fresh start. In three playoff appearances (one with Washington, two with Minnesota), he is three of four on field goals, five-for-five on extra points.