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MANKATO, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed kicker Blair Walsh to a contract extension, locking up the former Pro Bowler before he was scheduled to hit free agency next March, the team announced Sunday. The four-year extension is worth up to $14 million and includes $5.25 guaranteed, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. It also includes $1 million of incentives, putting the deal's value at a minimum of $13 million and a maximum of $14 million, according to a source.  "It's nice to have security and get an extension," Walsh said. "But it makes you even more hungry to prove everyone right, to continue to perform like you've been performing. That's the way I approach things: I'm never satisfied with anything. I want to continue to get better and do better." The deal makes Walsh one of the top-five highest-paid kickers in the NFL. "Blair has been a vital part of our special-teams success since we drafted him and we felt it was very important to secure his future with our organization," general manager Rick Spielman said in a statement. "His consistency on kickoffs and on long range field goals can help change the game for our team and we're excited for his future here in Minnesota. This extension stays true to our philosophy of drafting young talent, developing them in our system and rewarding their success." Walsh, a sixth-round pick in 2012, set NFL records in 2012 when he hit his first 10 field goals of 50 yards or more, and drilled three from 50-plus yards on Dec. 16, 2012, in St. Louis. His 141 points were the second-most by a rookie in NFL history, trailing only Kevin Butler's 144 in 1985. Walsh landed touchbacks on 64 percent of his kickoffs last season, ranking ninth in the league, and he vowed Sunday to continue "to go out there and perform." "That's what your job's based on, on the field," he said. "I know that. They know that. So I'm just going to continue to do what I've done my entire career, and that's perform.'' The University of Georgia product struggled late last season, missing six of his seven field goals in Weeks 14 and 15, but he still finished sixth in the league with touchbacks on 63.2 percent of his kickoffs. Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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