Good kickers are hard to come by. It’s a thankless position that typically goes unnoticed until you need a new one. The Packers were fortunate to find their franchise kicker in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft, but those days could be over.
Mason Crosby is a free agent, and unless he takes a team-friendly deal, it is unlikely that he will be back with Green Bay in 2023. Then again, he could retire altogether and force the team to find a replacement.
If Crosby’s time with the Packers really is over, fans may want to take a second to appreciate what he has done over the last 16 seasons.
For the most part, Crosby’s good days have outnumbered the bad. You usually don’t become the all-time scoring leader in franchise history otherwise.
Last season, however, it became clear that Crosby’s best days were behind him. He still managed to be efficient on his way to making 25-of-29 field goal attempts and all but two of his extra points, but as the season wore on, it became clear that at 38, Crosby didn’t have the same leg that he used to. Green Bay finished dead last in touchback percentage, and Crosby’s season-long field goal was a 56-yarder that barely skipped over the crossbar — his only make of four field goal attempts over 50 yards.
Considering Crosby’s age and deteriorating leg, now feels like the right time for both parties to move on.
When it comes to finding their next kicker, the Packers have two options: bring in a free agent or select one in the draft as they did in 2007. If they decide to go the draft route, here are six possible options — all of which were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine this week.