Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst didn’t see any signs of regression from 35-year-old kicker Mason Crosby during the 2019 season, and he confirmed the Packers want the veteran back with the team in 2020 and beyond.
Crosby, who turns 36 in September, connected on 22 of 24 field goals and all but one extra point in 2019, but he has an expiring contract and will be an unrestricted free agent come March.
“We’d certainly love to have him back. He’s done it at a high level for a long time, and he’s become a pretty big leader in our locker room as well,” Gutekunst said at his season-ending press conference.
Crosby set a career-best and tied a franchise record with a 91.7 field goal percentage this season. Counting the postseason, Crosby hit 68 of 71 kicks and connected on two game-winning field goals, including the go-ahead field goal as time expired in Week 17 that clinched a first-round bye for the Packers.
“Mason had a fantastic year this year, one of his best,” Gutekunst said. “From my scout’s eye, his leg strength, his power, his accuracy, it’s all there. Mason is going to kick for quite a while longer if he wants to.”
The Packers want Crosby – who was drafted by Ted Thompson in 2007 and is now the franchise’s all-time leader in points scored – to continue his decorated career in Green Bay.
Gutekunst complimented Crosby’s “laser focus” as he worked through personal struggles away from the field.
Crosby hit all 14 field goal attempts from 40 yards or in. He also connected on a 54-yard field and ranked sixth in the NFL in touchback percentage.
Gutekunst expressed confidence Crosby will continue being a reliable kicker for several more seasons, noting how several veteran kickers have continued to perform into their 40s.
Not only that, but Crosby has rare experience kicking in the cold, a necessity for a team that plays its home games at Lambeau Field.
Over the final five outdoor games of the 2019 season, Crosby hit all four field goal attempts and all 16 extra points.
It’s possible the Packers could use the franchise tag to keep Crosby for another year. A multi-year deal probably won’t be cheap, at least in kicker terms. As a point of reference, Robbie Gould signed a four-year, $19 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers in 2019. It averaged almost $5 million per season and included a $3 million signing bonus.