A regular talking point out of Green Bay this offseason, the team’s kicker situation became a bit clearer Wednesday. The Packers have thinned their kicking group from three to two.
Green Bay waived Jack Podlesny, per a team announcement. The former Georgia specialist had signed a reserve/futures deal with the team in January and vied with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph during the offseason program.
A Vikings UDFA in 2023, Podlesny spent last year’s offseason in the Twin Cities but did not stick with the team leading up to roster-cutdown day. The Vikings moved on in mid-August, and Podlesny spent the rest of the season out of football. After Carlson struggled down the stretch last season, the Packers brought in some competition. But Joseph now represents the second-year kicker’s sole threat.
This news comes after a report that suggested the Packers could consider a three-way competition going into camp. Teams do not regularly bring three kickers to camp, however, as 90-man roster spots go to other areas. Joseph was the player who beat out Podlesny for the Vikings’ job last year, and he completed a third season as Minnesota’s kicker. After Joseph signed with the Packers in late March, the Vikings moved on via sixth-round pick Will Reichard.
Podlesny served as Georgia’s kicker during both the team’s recent national championship seasons. He made at least 81% of his field goals in each of this three seasons as the Bulldogs’ kicker, topping out with a 26-for-31 season in 2022. While the Packers may certainly look outside the organization if their kicker battle underwhelms, it is now slated to be a Carlson-Joseph matchup.