At least for the time being, the Green Bay Packers aren’t bringing in a new kicker despite recent struggles from rookie Brayden Narveson. That means Narveson has to try to get past last week’s confidence-depleting performance against the Minnesota Vikings when he missed two field goals in what ended up being a 2-point loss.
“Forget about it, move on, and learn from it,” Narveson said on what his approach has been since Sunday. “Obviously, you can’t fully forget about it. You need to make sure that you analyze it and figure out what you’ve done wrong and try to fix it, but at the same time, clear your head and realize that I am so much better than that and that I need to get to point where I can’t let that happen again.”
Narveson missed kicks from 37 yards and 49 yards against the Vikings, bringing his miss total to four on the year, the most in the NFL. He is also the only kicker to have a miss from under 40 yards. The good news is that all four misses have been wide to the right, which Narveson believes is a good thing because he is making the same mistake.
“It’s not a double miss. They’ve all been in a very, very similar spot, so there’s a positive to that, obviously,” he said. “I need to try to take that positive, correct it, and then move on to the next kick.”
Many believe Narveson is lucky to be getting another chance in Green Bay. Earlier this week, the Packers worked out free agent kickers Chad Ryland and Lucas Havrisik but did not sign either one. Ryland was signed to the Arizona Cardinals practice squad the very next day.
After cutting last year’s draft pick Anders Carlson during roster cutdowns, general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted that he hasn’t been as patient with specialists as he should be. In the past, Gutekunst has parted ways with punters JK Scott and Corey Bojorquez, who have now gotten off to promising starts in 2024. Gutekunst is trying to practice a little more patience this time around.
Despite receiving a little more leeway from the GM, Narveson remains on a short leash. Another bad miss could mark the end of his time in Green Bay.
This weekend, he will get the chance to redeem himself at SoFi Stadium in a matchup hosted by the Los Angeles Rams. While SoFi is not a true dome, kicking conditions are usually favorable. Rams kicker Joshua Karty has made both of his field goal attempts at home this season and is 3/3 on extra points. The Rams share SoFi with the Los Angeles Chargers. So far, Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker is 4/5 at home with his only miss coming on a 55-yarder.
After experiencing the lowest of lows for an NFL kicker, Narveson says his goal is to go out and perform without any added pressure. At this point, he feels like he doesn’t have much to lose.
“In my opinion, I’ve felt what rock bottom feels like in a game,” Narveson said. “I’m kind of at the point right now where it’s almost like a screw-it mentality. I’m a dawg. I’m that guy. I’m going to go out there and bang the kick. That’s kind of how I’m thinking about it this week. Just continuously telling myself positive feedback and just go out there.”
