According to recent reports, the Green Bay Packers nearly signed a veteran kicker in free agency, Anders Carlson.
Before the 2023 season, the Green Bay Packers traded in veteran kicker Mason Crosby in the hopes that youngster Anders Carlson would prove to be a dependable substitute for many years to come. The Packers apparently tried to recruit someone to replace Carlson a year later.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, Carlson—the brother of the Las Vegas Raiders’ Pro Bowl kicker—was chosen with the 207th overall pick. Despite Carlson’s poor performance of 68.4% on field goals in his final two seasons with the Auburn Tigers, Green Bay selected him in the draft.
But Carlson never got past his inaccuracy problems. The Packers held him around in the hopes that he would get better with time, even though he had a rough training camp. Carlson concluded the regular season converting just 81.8 percent of extra-point attempts and 77.8 percent of field goal attempts, compared to starting his rookie season making 13 of 15 attempts, or 86.7 percent of the total. Then, in the Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he failed to make a crucial field goal, 24-21.
In NFL free agency, the Packers “almost” acquired a seasoned kicker, according to Bill Huber of Packer Central. The player accepted a contract that Green Bay offered him verbally, though his identity was kept a secret. But at the last minute, he had a change of heart at the last moment and signed with another team.
While the name of the kicker isn’t revealed, four veterans at that position have signed in NFL free agency. Joey Slye signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Brandon McManus agreed to a deal with the Washington Commanders, Will Lutz re-signed with the Denver Broncos and Nick Folk stayed with the Tennessee Titans.
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