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The kicking competition appeared to be over.Anders Carlson was hot.Greg Joseph had struggled down the stretch.Then, Carlson did what he did so many times last year.
He pulled a Carlson. Green Bay’s second-year kicker sent a 32-yard field goal wide right in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ 30-7 preseason win over Baltimore on Saturday. And just like that, it felt like Green Bay was back to square one. Afterwards, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was asked if he felt his 2024 kicker was currently on the roster.
40 Percent Off Badge English“You know, that’s not even a question for me, to be honest with you,” LaFleur said. “We’ve got a really good sample size, and then we’ll see what happens just around the league. Certainly there were some really good moments.
Both those guys went in there, hit a 54-yarder and a 55-yarder, and then there’s a poor moment there where we missed a chip shot. You know, again, lotta good. Some we know we can be better at, and we’ll wait and see.”Carlson missed more extra points (six) and total kicks (13) than anyone in football in 2023.
Carlson also had a chance to give Green Bay a 24-17 lead over San Francisco in the NFC divisional playoffs, but missed a 41-yard field goal with just more than 5 minutes left. The 49ers then drove and won the game, 24-21.
So the Packers brought in veteran Greg Joseph to challenge for the job this summer. During training camp, Carlson has made 60-of-73 kicks (82.2%) in practice, while Joseph is 57-of-73 (78.1%). Carlson made a 54-yard field goal on the Packers’ first possession Saturday and it appeared he was a virtual lock to make the roster. But when he missed a chip shot late in the game, the only thing certain was uncertainty.
Carlson chose not to speak to the media after that. By Tuesday at 3 p.m., general manager Brian Gutekunst of the Packers must finalize his 53-man roster. The hardest choice Gutekunst has to make right now is whether to sign Joseph, Carlson, or get a new kicker. Regarding the 53-man roster for the Packers, LaFleur stated, “There’s going to be some very tough decisions.” And occasionally, I think, “Man, I’m glad I’m not the one having to make the decision.” When Joseph nailed field goals on Saturday from 55 and 36 yards, it made the decision much more difficult for his superiors.
Early in camp, Joseph made 20 consecutive kicks, and at the halfway point of the summer, he was 29 of 31 (93.5%). After faltering for the previous ten days, Joseph performed admirably on Saturday to re-enter the race. “We’ll see,” replied Joseph. “I think I did all I put out there with no regrets.
I gave it my all and battled every day for this team and this job. They’ll decide what to do with the remainder. When the Green Bay Packers acquired future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers a year ago, there were no expectations for the team, so Gutekunst felt comfortable taking a chance on a rookie kicker. Rather, the Packers took the world by surprise by making it to the postseason and easily defeating Dallas in the NFC Wild Card round.
Despite Carlson’s difficulties in the last moments and his missed extra point against the Cowboys, Gutekunst continued to use his rookie kicker. And when Carlson missed his greatest field goal of the season against San Francisco, that move backfired on the general manager. “He needs to get better.
Regarding Carlson this offseason, Gutekunst stated, “That’s important.” “I think he had a fairly good year (2023), but if that’s going to continue, there needs to be a growth curve. I definitely appreciate his methodical approach. He is incredibly composed and adept at managing the stress. I’m eager to see his progress in Year 2.
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