Anders Carlson might be one of the most frustrating players on the Green Bay Packers’ roster. While the second-year kicker has generally improved his consistency since his inconsistent rookie season, avoidable mistakes continue to occur too often.
Saturday’s preseason finale is a prime example. After a solid week of practice, Carlson started strong with a successful 54-yard field goal, which made it seem like he had secured the job over veteran Greg Joseph. However, late in the game, Carlson missed an easy 32-yard attempt, showcasing his inconsistency.
According to Packer Report’s Andy Herman, who tracked every kick during training camp and the preseason, Carlson holds a slight edge with a 62/76 (81.6 percent) completion rate compared to Joseph’s 60/76 (78.9 percent). Only two kicks separate the two.
Carlson remains the frontrunner, but his frustrating errors will be a challenge for the Packers to endure. Head coach Matt LaFleur has hinted at the possibility of signing a veteran kicker, leading many fans to call for Mason Crosby’s return.
However, bringing back Mason Crosby for the 2024 season may not be the answer. While Crosby is beloved and the greatest kicker in Packers history, he’s not the solution to Green Bay’s kicking issues. He will soon turn 40 and hasn’t kicked consistently since the 2022 season, when he made 86.2 percent of his attempts. The year prior, he only managed 73.5 percent.
Crosby had a brief stint with the New York Giants late last season but struggled, missing two field goals and an extra point in just three games. Although he made a 52-yarder in his Giants debut, he missed subsequent attempts from 45 and 54 yards.
With a career field-goal percentage of 81.3, Crosby’s numbers are not significantly better than Carlson’s 81.8 percent last season. Although Crosby had many memorable moments with the Packers, his performance was not consistently elite. Approaching 40, he likely wouldn’t deliver the reliability the Packers need. Whether it’s Carlson, Joseph, or another veteran, the Packers have a kicking problem that Crosby won’t solve.