The Detroit Lions lost their longtime kicker when Jason Hanson decided to retire after over two decades of professional football, but they did not have to spend much time finding a new option, as the Lions brought in newly released kicker David Akers to the team after the San Francisco 49ers cut him.
According to ESPN.com, the Lions came to terms with Akers on a deal and details were not immediately available, but it likely was a one-year deal. The move was confirmed by Akers' agent to the Associated Press and it is a slight homecoming for the kicker, as he from the Detroit area. Hanson played with the Lions for 21 years before deciding to retire and now the Lions have another veteran kicker.
Akers was one of the best kickers in the NFL for a number of years and he struggled over the past two seasons while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Akers made just 73 of 94 kicks over the past two years, although he did lead the league in scoring with nearly 300 points. Akers was injured for part of last season after having hernia surgery in February of last year and tied the record for longest field goal with a 63-yard kick in 2011.
Akers had a record 44 field goals in 2011, but missed 13 field goals last year while the 49ers made their way to the Super Bowl. At one point the team brought in Billy Cundiff to go up against Akers during the postseason, but the team never made a change in the lineup. He hit three field goals in the Super Bowl and played his first 12 years with the Eagles before moving to the 49ers.
Hanson has a number of NFL records as a kicker and Akers isn't far behind, as the Lions kicker is the first player to appear in 300 games with one franchise and is also the third on the career NFL scoring list with 2,150 points. Hanson has been one of the most reliable kickers in history and he has seen the Lions go from good to bad to good a number of times before hanging up his cleats.
