According to his agent, the Green Bay Packers are adding Greg Joseph to their kicker room ahead of the 2024 season.
At this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, general manager Brian Gutekunst discussed bringing in a veteran kicker to compete against 2023 sixth-round draft pick Anders Carlson. Joseph, 29, has five years of NFL kicking experience, spending the last three as a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
“I’m excited to see what (Carlson) does in Year 2, but there will be competition in the room,” Gutekunst said.
Carlson went through what can only be described as an erratic season for a rookie kicker. He struggled to make field goals consistently throughout training camp and the preseason but then made his first seven attempts during the regular season. Carlson ended up making 81.8 percent of his field goals in 2023 but missed a league-high six extra points and went on to miss a 41-yarder that would have given the Packers a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.
Joseph, meanwhile, has also had his struggles.
Let’s take a look to see how Joseph’s career kicking stats compare to Carlson’s rookie campaign:
On field goals of less than 30 yards, Joseph has made all 29 of his attempts. Carlson is also perfect with six makes.
On field goals ranging between 30-39 yards, Joseph is 32-33 (97.0 percent). Carlson is 14-14 (100 percent).
On field goals ranging between 40-49 yards, Joseph is 22-30 (73.3 percent). Carlson is 4-8 (50 percent).
On field goals from 50 yards and over, Joseph is 16-28 (57.1 percent) with a career-long of 61. Carlson is 3-5 (60.0 percent) with a long of 53.
On extra points, Joseph is 146-162 (90.1 percent). Carlson is 34-39 (87.1 percent).
Both kickers are known for their strong legs but struggle with accuracy as the distance increases. Last season, they each were 7-of-13 on kicks of at least 40 yards. Joseph played on a one-year deal for Minnesota but was not re-signed after finishing 24-for-30 (80.0 percent) with two missed extra points.
Of course, all kickers are judged by their performance in big moments. Joseph’s agent wrote that he holds the NFL record for game-winners in a season (5). Carlson has one career game-winner, a 32-yarder against the Carolina Panthers in Week 16.
It will be interesting to see how the Packers’ kicker competition shakes out. Green Bay had high hopes for Carlson’s potential when they drafted him, but it was evident at the end of the year that he had to be more consistent. No one knows if Joseph will be any better.
Jack Podlesny, who was signed by the team in January, is also expected to compete for the job.