On the first day of Green Bay Packers training camp, incumbent kicker Anders Carlson and veteran Greg Joseph took a backseat to rookie newcomer James Turner.
Claimed off waivers from the Detroit Lions last month, Turner was up first to kick on Monday. Neither Carlson nor Joseph kicked during the opening practice, but Turner went 4-for-6 on field goals, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. He missed from 43 yards and 46 yards, both wide right. Turner made kicks from 33, 38, 41 and 44 yards, per Bill Huber of SI. Given two three-kick opportunities, Turner went 2-for-3 each time.
Instead of alternating during practices, it appears the Packers will give each of their three kickers individual days to kick in live team sessions. Carlson, who made 27 of 33 field goals and 34 of 39 extra points as a rookie for the Packers last season, could get the kicks Tuesday. Or maybe it’ll be Joseph, who made 82.2 percent of his field goals and 90.3 percent of his extra points over three years as the Vikings kicker.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers have the roster flexibility to keep three kickers during training camp, and there’s no rush to decide a winner in the competition.
“As long as it takes,” Gutekunst said. “We’ll keep churning it and moving down that road until somebody wins.”
Turner went undrafted out of Michigan this year. He spent most of the offseason with the Lions, who waived him after signing All-UFL kicker Jakes Bates in June.