After an uninspiring summer kicking competition featuring Anders Carlson, Greg Joseph and three other kickers, the Green Bay Packers scrapped the whole thing and claimed rookie Brayden Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, one day after final cuts.
Narveson, who will take Joseph’s spot on the 53-man roster, made 6-of-7 field goals and both extra points during the preseason with the Titans.
The Packers liked Narveson coming out of North Carolina State and had an eye on him at final cuts after his impressive preseason.
“Brayden was a kid we liked coming out and then he had an excellent preseason there in Tennessee,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “As it unfolded and he was let go, we just thought it was an opportunity to get a really good young kicker and give him a shot at it.”
Gutekunst admitted he sometimes lacks patience with specialists, but his confidence level in the 2024 Packers was too high to settle for an option lower than the standard at kicker.
Carlson, the incumbent kicker, didn’t take a developmental step this summer, necessitating the change. Joseph, while experienced, wasn’t nearly consistent enough.
“We were going to try to get better there and whether that was Anders, whether that was somebody from outside, it didn’t matter,” Gutekunst said. “But we needed to get better.”
A rookie, Narveson’s first regular season kicks will likely come in Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles in a nationally televised game in Brazil. The Packers will only have a few days to measure Narveson’s mental toughness before he’ll be asked to make important kicks.
“He had a great preseason where he hit a 59-yard and a game-winner at the end to handle that kind of pressure. You’re constantly monitoring that kind of stuff,” Gutekunst said.
Against the Seahawks in the preseason, Narveson hit three consecutive field goals in the fourth quarter as the Titans came back to win. His 46-yarder won the game as time expired.
Narveson must now prove he can be the long-term answer at kicker in Green Bay. The Packers are keeping Alex Hale on the practice squad as the team’s international player, but Narveson is the man at kicker now.
“We’re really excited to get Brayden in here to see what he can do. And he’s certainly got a lot of talent, and we’re excited about that,” Gutekunst said. “But at the end of the day, like all the guys who made this team, they have to produce. That’s part of the National Football League.”