Vikings Release Tristan Vizcaino, Appear to Be Sticking With Dan Bailey at Kicker
It looks like Dan Bailey will remain the Vikings' kicker this Sunday against the Bears. The team released practice squad kicker Tristan Vizcaino on Tuesday, leaving Bailey as the only option – unless someone else is signed to the practice squad soon and elevated for the game.
Update: the Vikings brought in veteran Chandler Catanzaro for a tryout on Tuesday. He could be signed to the practice squad soon.
Vizcaino was never going to be a great option to replace Bailey, considering he made just 16 of 26 field goals between his senior season at Washington and the 2019 preseason with the Bengals. Even though Bailey has missed seven of his last nine kicks, his track record still suggests he would be a better option than Vizcaino.
The Vikings did try out a kicker already this week – former Texas A&M and AAF kicker Taylor Bertolet – but his numbers aren't much better. Bertolet was 9 of 14 on field goals in the AAF and made just 66 percent of his attempts in college. He seems like the likely candidate to replace Vizcaino on the practice squad, and it's not impossible that Bertolet could be the Vikings' kicker on Sunday.
However, it seems like the Vikings are going to give Bailey another shot. Mike Zimmer has been respectful of Bailey's successful career over the past couple days, and it appears that he's skeptical of making the same mistake the Vikings did by cutting ties with Daniel Carlson so quickly.
"You have to look at history, you have to look at past performances, you have to look at the person," Zimmer said. "Sometimes you [reporters] write bad articles, does your editor come in and say, 'Hey, either write this one better or I'm going to fire you?' Or does he look at what you've done in the past? It's all the same stuff. This guy is a solid kid. What did he hit, 28 in a row from September '19 to October 2020 or something like that? [Bailey made 25 field goals in a row from Week 8 of 2019 to Week 3 of this year, including playoffs]. I have to take all of that into consideration as well."
Sticking with Bailey after a costly 0 for 4 performance, if that's the decision that is made, might shock some fans. But it also might simply be the best option the Vikings have right now. If Bailey can make some mechanical adjustments and regain his confidence this week, it's probably better to hope he can bounce back than to throw someone like Bertolet into the fire with a must-win situation for their first NFL game.
The other notable roster move for the Vikings comes at the cornerback position. Kris Boyd has been placed on IR, ending his season. Boyd showed some flashes this year but was also burned by dropped interceptions and special teams mistakes. He'll be replaced on the active roster by Mark Fields, who has been activated from IR after suffering a punctured lung in Green Bay in Week 8.
Lastly, the Vikings signed safety Curtis Riley (who was waived last week) back to the practice squad to take Vizcaino's spot for now.
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