A competition between Green Bay Packers kickers has garnered headlines throughout the offseason. Veteran kicker Greg Joseph was added back in the spring to light a fire under 2023 starter Anders Carlson, however, both veteran legs wound up struggling, forcing the Packers to sign ex-Oklahoma State K Alex Hale earlier this week.
Needless to say, the situation has been unpredictable thus far. Just when one kicker begins to get an edge, another seems to get the leg up on them (pun intended).
Naturally, it only makes sense that Thursday’s training camp practice produced yet another unexpected turn.
Carlson, Joseph Go Perfect at Thursday’s Practice
Packers insider Wes Hodkiewicz is reporting that Carlson and Joseph each went a perfect 6-for-6 on their kicking attempts during Thursday’s practice. The experienced tandem made successful tries from 40, 44, 47, 49, 50, and 51 yards out.
"It's what's happening currently in this moment and how can you control that to the best of your ability."
5 things learned from today's practice ⤵️@BellinHealth | #PackersCamp
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 8, 2024
It’s great to see Carlson and Joseph bounce back after each man went 4-for-7 on Wednesday. Their perfect performances came one day after Hale went 5-for-6 in his training camp debut, meaning his presence may have been enough to light a fire beneath his counterparts.
Carlson was named the starting kicker in his rookie season, however, he was far from reliable. The former Auburn special teamer only connected on 27-of-33 field-goal attempts (81.8%) while missing five of his 39 extra-point tries (87.2%). Even if it was only his first taste of NFL action, those aren’t numbers you want to see from a kicker.
Carlson’s abysmal showing forced the Packers to sign Joseph, who spent the last three seasons with the rival Minnesota Vikings. Although his 80.0 FG% last season left much to be desired, his 94.7 XP% shows that he was more reliable than Carlson following a touchdown.
As for Hale, we’ll see if he has what it takes to beat out the more experienced pair. Hale showed a lot of promise throughout his time at Oklahoma State, which included leading the country with 27 made field goals last fall. He finished his collegiate career with a 79.6 FG% and 95.9 XP%.
We’ll have a better idea of how the competition is shaping up once Green Bay begins the preseason. That isn’t too far away as the Packers will begin their exhibition slate with a road game against the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.
Unfortunately, DraftKings Sportsbook currently lists the Pack as the 5.5-point underdog at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
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