Packers rookie kicker Anders Carlson already finds himself on the hot seat, but the Packers gave him a vote of confidence yesterday. After Carlson struggled during training camp and the team’s preseason opener, Brian Gutekunst said it’s natural for a young kicker to struggle, with the GM pointing to former kicker Mason Crosby.
“We believe in him, we think he has a lot of talent, he’s done some really good things since he’s been here. You guys have seen his leg strength, his power. I really like the way the ball elevates off his foot,” Gutekunst said Friday (h/t to Packers Wire). “But you have to find a way to get to a more consistent level. One thing…there’s not a lot of patience sometimes when there needs to be.
“Mason had some multiple times while he was here where he was in some really bad spots, some struggles, and I always thought Ted [Thompson, former GM] gave him a pretty long leash and he always came out of it. I think that’s important, especially for young players to get that patience, that leash to get there. But at some point, when this stuff becomes real, it becomes different.”
According to ESPN’s Rob Demovsky (via Twitter), the organization has no intention of bringing in competition at the position, meaning the job is still Carlson’s. Of course, things can change quickly, and a poor outing during tonight’s preseason game could change the Packers’ thinking.
The brother of Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, Anders had a productive career at Auburn, earning second-team All-American honors and a first-team All-SEC nod in 2020. After connecting on 20 of his 22 field goal attempts during that 2020 campaign, Carlson converted 26 of his 38 attempts (68 percent) between 2021 and 2022. Despite the drop in accuracy, the Packers still selected him in the sixth round of this past year’s draft, making him the replacement for Crosby, who spent the past 16 years in Green Bay.
Carlson looked good early during his preseason debut, connecting on his first four kicks. However, he later missed a pair of extra point tries, and the kicker reportedly continued to struggle during practice this week. The Packers are especially confident that Carlson can shake off his funk, with special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia noting that Green Bay specifically targeted the kicker for his mental fortitude.
“I’ll go back to his mental makeup has a lot to do with why we drafted him, why we like him and why we think his future is going to be bright for him,” Bisaccia said.