6 Packers on the Chopping Block After 2024 Minicamp
By Randy Gurzi
5. Anders Carlson, Kicker
It's hard to watch Anders Carlson during camp this offseason and think he's on the chopping but that appears to be the case. He's been connecting on one kick after another, including a 53-yarder to end practice. That capped off their practice on June 4 while sending his teammates into a frenzy.
After two-minute drill for the 3s, Joseph, Podlesny and Carlson all hit from 54.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) June 4, 2024
Then they make all three kick from 53 with team huddling around them spraying water and going nuts.
Only Carlson hits and he gets mobbed. Practice over.
Despite the confidence he's found thus far, the Packers don't seem ready to commit. They're still worried following the struggles he had as a rookie, which were discouraging, to say the least.
Carlson connected on 27-of-33 kicks but those numbers were padded by his 20-20 finish from inside of 40 yards. On kicks of 40-49 yards, Carlson was just 4-of-8. He was 3-of-5 on field goals from 50 yards out or more and missed five extra points. In the postseason, he was 2-3 on field goals, missing his lone kick beyond 40. He also missed another extra point, finishing 7-of-8.
Green Bay signed Greg Joseph as competition this offseason and while he's had some issues kicking in Lambeau Field, Joseph is still a steady veteran. Their third kicker is Jack Podlesny who has done well in camp also. That means the Packers could bring all three into training camp — and they might not be done.
In addition to the three kickers already on the roster, Green Bay has requested permission to meet with Jake Bates, who was sensational in the UFL.
HE DOES IT AGAIN! 62-YARD FG FOR BATES 🤯@jakebates30 | #UFL2024 pic.twitter.com/tmAHXtBAy2
— United Football League (@TheUFL) April 7, 2024
Several teams are interested in Bates, so he might not sign with the Packers but the fact that they continue to kick around options (no pun intended) doesn't bode well for Carlson.