After 16 seasons, the Green Bay Packers finally will have a change at the kicker position. Mason Crosby, 38 years old, hasn't re-signed after being the Packers kicker from 2007 to 2022. The front office let the door open for a reunion, but that became highly unlikely after the team spent a sixth-round pick to select Anders Carlson, who has a strong connection to assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia — he recruited Anders' brother, Daniel, to Auburn and coached him with the Las Vegas Raiders.

So far, in training camp, Anders Carlson has been inconsistent. During one practice last week, for instance, he converted just two of seven kicks. On Family Night, though, he was much better: 8-9, and the miss was mostly caused by a bad snap operation. That's usual for a young player, and the Packers don't seem concerned for now.

"I do think it's one of those things that this is the National Football League. You’ve got to perform at every position," said Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. "At the same time, we went into this kind of knowing that rookie kickers will have some struggles, with the thought process there will be some patience there."

The Packers also want to avoid a situation that actually happened to Anders' brother. Daniel Carlson was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round in 2018. But he struggled early and was cut after just two games (the last one, a tie against the Packers) because he missed three out of four field goals. The Vikings decided to replace him with veteran Dan Bailey. But Daniel bounced back, signed with the Raiders, and became one of the most solid kickers in the league.

Roster-bulding strategy

In 2020, the NFL decided to adjust practice squad rules to give teams flexibility because of covid. The changes were so successful that the league made them permanent. For 2023, teams can build 16-player practice squads, and these players can be elevated three times per season to active rosters on game day, reverting back to the practice squad one day after the game without going through waivers. Besides that, each team can add up to six players with unlimited accrued seasons on the practice squad — which means franchises may have real veterans there. These rules might give the Packers some leeway to be patient with the young kicker.

Since the expanded practice squads were implemented, the Packers have always kept a kicker on the extra group. It was JJ Molson in 2020 and 2021, and Ramiz Ahmed last year. Those were mostly emergency and developmental players, because Crosby was the established starter. But now, Gutekunst can use the tool to rotate veterans through the season and elevate them if needed. Doing this, the Packers can keep Carlson on the active roster, not exposing him to waiver claims while he develops.

Currently, the group of free agent kickers include veterans Ryan Succop, Robbie Gould, Randy Bullock, and Tristan Vizcaino. And many more will join the party after the initial 53-man rosters are established.

The Packers could add a veteran kicker to the practice squad, with Anders Carlson on the 53-man roster. The rookie would probably start the season anyway. If he struggles early as his brother did, there would be no reason to release him. Green Bay would have the flexibility to elevate the veteran for game day, keeping Carlson inactive, but protected on the roster.
Most likely, the Packers will ride with Anders Carlson and give him time to develop. However, the new NFL practice squad rules give them extra malleability to operate during a transition phase throughout the roster.


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