DONE JUST NOW: Lions Acquire $156 Million Playmaker in a Blockbuster Trade
The Green Bay Packers have had a bad run at kicker in the last year or so. At the completion of the 2022 NFL season, they decided to part ways with the franchise’s all-time top scorer, Mason Crosby. In an effort to replace him, they chose Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft.
As problematic as the choice to replace Crosby with a kicker who was largely regarded as un-draftable was, the Packers’ failure to bring in any competition for Carlson during training camp last year was perhaps more troubling.
Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Anders Carlson Struggled in 2023
Carlson kicked 81.8% of his field goals and 87.2% of his extra point tries in his one season with the Packers. What was most troubling was his inconsistency. While he started the first part of the season perfectly, he went on to have one of the worst kicking seasons in Green Bay history.
While Crosby made less than 80% of his field goals in various seasons, he was virtually always accurate with extra points.
Last season, Carlson missed more kicks than any other player in the NFL. He once missed at least one kick in ten out of twelve games, including Green Bay’s two NFL Playoff games.
They lost the second of these games to the San Francisco 49ers by three points.
Carlson missed a field goal.
The Green Bay Packers Brought in Greg Joseph to Compete with Anders Carlson
Unwilling to surrender Carlson the job again, Green Bay brought in veteran Greg Joseph to contend for it during training camp. Joseph has spent the previous three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
Training camp began as a tough competition, with both kickers looking to have improved their accuracy during the winter.
But Carlson began to suffer, and Joseph moved ahead of the competition. It was not to last, however, as Joseph had a terrible week of practice near the end of camp, leaving them neck-and-neck once more.
Carlson missed a chip-shot field goal in Green Bay’s final preseason game and was waived when the initial 53-man roster was announced. Joseph was kept on for only one day.
Green Bay claimed Brayden Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and released Joseph the following day.
Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Greg Joseph Has Signed with the Detroit Lions
However, Joseph is no longer out of job. Earlier this afternoon, his agency stated that he had signed with the Detroit Lions to be on their practice squad.
The Detroit Lions just signed my kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad. 7-year vet was last with Green Bay and spent three prior seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) September 10, 2024
Joseph has a career field goal percentage of 82.6% and has converted 90.1% of his extra point tries. Prior to his three seasons with the Vikings, he spent one year each with the Cleveland Browns and the Tennessee Titans.
He has also been on the practice squads of the Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Lions are Joseph’s eighth squad in seven seasons.