If Anders Carlson has more kicking performances like the one he did on Saturday, the Green Bay Packers might have no choice but to pick up the phone and dial Mason Crosby’s number.
Carlson kicked for the second time in front of the media this weekend, and the reports were less than stellar for Green Bay’s rookie replacement for Crosby.
The sixth-round pick out of Auburn made just two field goals on seven tries, including three misses between 40 and 45 yards. Carlson did connect on one of his longer kicks, though, a 51-yarder from the left hash and a 19-yard chip shot during a two-minute drill.
This was a noticeable step back from Carlson’s first training camp outing, which saw him make 5 out of 6 field goals ranging from 40 to 45 yards.
As the only kicker signed to the roster, Carlson has no reason to look over his shoulder just yet, but that could very easily change if he can’t consistently make his field goals in practice.
The Packers frequently brought in camp competition throughout Crosby’s 16 seasons with the team and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a kicking battle.
“We’ll see how it goes,” GM Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday on the possibility of adding a second kicker. “I think Rich would like 20 specialists.”
Bisaccia pushed for Gutekunst to draft Carlson after he successfully resurrected the career of his brother Daniel when the two were with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2018-2021.
During his short time in Green Bay, Carlson has flashed some power but has also shown the same accuracy issues that were concerning throughout his college career. In five seasons at Auburn, he made only 71.8 percent of his attempts.
At the moment, the Packers are fortunate they still have the option to sign Crosby. The franchise’s all-time scoring leader remains a free agent despite wanting to continue his career at 38 years of age. Back in May, Bisaccia wouldn’t rule out working with Crosby again if he couldn’t find a new team.
“I’ve been fortunate to be around a lot of great kickers in my time in the league, and he’s one of them,” said Bisaccia. “We’re still in conversation. I think Brian (Gutekunst) has spoken that the door’s not closed, and he’s not on anybody’s team yet.”
Unfortunately, Crosby’s age, deteriorating leg strength, and salary cap cost factored into the team not offering him another contract. However, all that could go out the window if Carlson’s kicking woes persist.
Green Bay will likely give their rookie kicker a little more time before reaching out to Crosby or bringing in another free agent. That said, it may not be a bad idea to have someone push an unproven Carlson for kicking duties in 2023.
