A lot of attention has been given to the Green Bay Packers making a major change to their offense. After 15 years as the starter, and 18 overall with the franchise, the Packers have moved on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Seeing someone other than No. 12 under center in Green Bay will take some adjusting to, but he isn’t the only long-term starter that has been moved on from this offseason. Kicker Mason Crosby remains a free agent, likely ending his tenure with the team as well.
Crosby was a sixth-round pick of the Packers in the 2007 NFL Draft and has been their primary placekicker ever since. The team used a sixth-round pick on a kicker in the 2023 NFL Draft, selecting Anders Carlson out of Auburn to seemingly be his replacement.
That is something Matt Schneidman of The Athletic believes is one of the biggest questions surrounding the Packers as they prepare for training camp. Can a rookie kicker handle all that comes with being a kicker in Green Bay?
Not only is there pressure being the placekicker for a team, but doing it for the Packers brings another set of circumstances to deal with. Despite some brutal conditions at Lambeau Field, whether it be snow or freezing temperatures, the team was able to count on Crosby to get the job done.
For 16 years, coaches could confidently call on him to knock a ball through the uprights no matter what circumstances he was facing. He was as consistent as could be, making 81.4 percent of his field goal attempts and 97.3 percent of his extra points.
His leg strength had begun to show in recent seasons as Crosby made only 1-of-4 attempts from 50+ yards last season and only 15 touchbacks on kickoffs after recording 40+ in four straight seasons. Despite that, he remained efficient, making 86.2 percent of his attempts.
With the door seemingly being closed on Crosby returning in Schneidman’s opinion, the Packers are taking a major risk with their kicking game. While all eyes will be on Jordan Love and how he replaces Rodgers, Carlson will have some big shoes to fill in Green Bay as well.
