Will Green Bay Packers Kicker Anders Carlson Be One Year and Done?

The Green Bay Packers have had stability at kicker for a long time. Rookie Anders Carlson took over in 2023 and struggled with consistency. So, will Carlson be a one-season and done kicker for the Packers or can he bounce back and be the team’s next long-term solution at the position?

The Packers Recent History with Kickers

The Packers have had only four kickers on their team between 1989 and 2022. This is unusual as kickers usually come and go with great frequency. Chris Jacke lasted eight seasons including the team’s win in Super Bowl XXXI. Ryan Longwell took over in 1997 and remained with the team through 2005. After one season of Dave Rayner in 2006, Mason Crosby took over in 2007 and remained with the team through 2022.

Each of the long-serving kickers left as the most prolific kicker in franchise history. Jacke was the team’s all-time scorer among kickers when he left the team after the 1996 season. Longwell became the team’s all-time leading scorer when he left the team. Crosby remains the team’s most prolific scorer by a wide margin with 1,918 career points, almost double Longwell’s 1,054.

Packers Kicker Anders Carlson Struggles as a Rookie

GM Brian Gutekunst selected Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Crosby’s contract was up, and the team felt it was time to get younger and less expensive at the position.

The scouting report on the Auburn star indicated that Carlson had a very strong leg but struggled with consistency. That was especially true after he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in 2021. He kicked with a brace the following season.

After struggling in the preseason, Carlson got off to a strong start in 2023. In the first five games, he made all seven of his field goals and all 10 of his extra points.

But in the final dozen games of the regular season, Carlson missed 11 kicks including five extra points and six field goals. He led the league in missed kicks, something no kicker wants to do.

In the playoffs, Carlson missed an extra point against Dallas that kept the Cowboys hopes for a comeback hanging by a thread. In the division round against San Francisco, Carlson missed a key field goal that would have put the Packers up 24-17 in a game they eventually lost 24-21.

The Packers Moves at Kicker Since the End of the Season

After the Packers playoff run ended, the team announced the signing of a kicker to compete with Carlson in 2024. Gutekunst signed former Georgia star Jack Podlesny within a week after the playoff loss to the 49ers.

Last year, Podlesny was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent but was released mid-way through training camp.

Podlesny lacks the strong leg that Carlson has, but he has been more consistent in college than Carlson.

Last week, published reports indicated Gutekunst had reached an agreement with a veteran kicker to compete with Carlson, but at the last minute, the veteran changed his mind and signed elsewhere.

Clearly, the front office lacks faith in Carlson right now and is actively looking for competition at the position in case the second-year man continues to struggle.

The Future of Packers Kicker Anders Carlson

Carlson faces an uncertain future. His brother, Daniel Carlson, also struggled early in his NFL career. The Vikings released him shortly after he missed some key kicks in a tie game against the Packers. Then, current Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia worked with Daniel and helped turn him into an All-Pro kicker with the Raiders.

The Packers obviously hope Bisaccia can do the same with Anders. Gutekunst will likely bring in a veteran kicker to compete with Carlson and Podlesny. One member of the trio could easily be let go after UTAs or mandatory minicamp in the spring.

Carlson is at a crossroads in his career. He will need a strong performance in training camp and the preseason to prove he is still the team’s kicker of the future. Otherwise, he can join a long list of journeyman kickers hoping to hook on with an NFL team.