The last man standing in the Green Bay Packers’ summer-long kicking battle was veteran Greg Joseph, who ended up on the team’s initial 53-man roster after incumbent Anders Carlson and rookie Alex Hale were released Tuesday.
Statistically speaking, Joseph wasn’t the best kicker during training camp practices and preseason games. He ended up under 80 percent on all recorded kicks — 60 for 76 overall, or 78.9 percent, per Andy Herman. But Joseph finished strong — making two field goals, including a 55-yarder — in the season finale, while Carlson’s miss of 32-yard chip shot brought up confidence-shaking memories of his impactful misses to end last season. Hale, a rookie from Oklahoma State, is the Packers’ designated International Player Pathway player and will have a free practice squad spot waiting for him Wednesday.
Now that Joseph is the last kicker standing, the question becomes: Will his win last more than a day?
Packers coach Matt LaFleur made it clear the team would search the waiver wire for potential upgrades. And final cuts added a few possibilities for Brian Gutekunst to look through before waiver claims on Wednesday.
Here are all the kickers released during final cuts:
Lucas Havrisik (Browns)
Spencer Shrader (Colts)
Chad Rhyland (Patriots)
Austin Seibert (Jets)
Jude McAtamney (Giants)
Charlie Smyth (Saints)
Matthew Wright (Steelers)
Brayden Narveson (Titans)
Riley Patterson (Commanders)
There isn’t a slam dunk, can’t miss option. The Packers pro personnel department will have to do some real digging to know if any of the available kickers have the potential to be better than Joseph, who was the kicker for the Minnesota Vikings between 2021 and 2023 before joining the Packers. Joseph’s career kicking percentage is 82.6, and his extra point percentage is only 90.6. While he has a big leg (15 career makes over 50 yards), Joseph is certainly volatile. his miss on a 47-yarder in Denver during the preseason wasn’t even close.
But sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t, and the Packers will have a good sense of Joseph’s kicking ability after facing him for three years inside the division and now having a summer of him competing in Green Bay.
Also, keep in mind, Joseph is a vested veteran, so he’ll contract will fully guarantee for the 2024 season if he’s on the roster on Week 1. Joseph signed a one-year deal worth only $1.3 million, so the price tag isn’t a big one. But his entire salary would count against the cap if the Packers ended up having to make a midseason change.
Waiver claims are due by 11:00 a.m. CT on Wednesday. If the deadline comes and goes without the Packers adding a new kicker, Joseph just might end up as the team’s kicker for 2024.
