Former Vikings GM Rick Spielman says cutting Daniel Carlson was among biggest regrets
MINNEAPOLIS -- Now that he's no longer working in the NFL (for the time being, anyway), former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is talking openly about his time in Minnesota.
On Tuesday, in a video posted to social media, Spielman talked about one of his biggest regrets as GM, and Vikings fans probably won't be surprised by it.
"The player that I regret cutting the most was Daniel Carlson," Spielman said.
Carlson is one of many great what-ifs in Vikings history. The team drafted the kicker in the fifth round in 2018, and he stepped into the starting job immediately.
In the first game of that season, he went three-for-three on extra points and made a 48-yard field goal. The Vikings beat the 49ers 24-16.
The next week, the Vikings headed to Green Bay to take on the rival Packers. Carlson again made all of his extra points, but missed all three of his field goals -- including two in overtime. The game ended in a 29-29 tie.
The Vikings cut Carlson the next day and added veteran kicker Dan Bailey to replace him. Bailey spent the next three seasons in Minnesota, making 88% of his field goals.
Carlson, meanwhile, joined the Raiders a few weeks later, and missed only one field goal the rest of the season. Over the past two years, he's been one of the most dependable legs in the league, making nearly 94% of his field goals. He was named second team All-Pro last season.
"He's had a great career since we cut him, and he will continue to have a great career and may go down as one of the best kickers in NFL history," Spielman said. "That I do regret."
The Vikings fired Spielman in January, replacing him with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
