Packers Work Out Record-Breaking Kicker, 2 Others Amid Struggles

Getty Free agent kicker Andre Szmyt, right, worked out with the Packers on August 5.

The Green Bay Packers are still looking at more kickers to potentially shake up their ongoing training camp battle between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph.

According to the NFL’s transaction wire for August 5, the Packers hosted seven players, including three kickers, for roster workouts on Monday. One of those players — Andre Szmyt — is coming off a UFL season in which he led the league in field goal makes (19).

Szmyt also holds multiple Syracuse records after wrapping up his decorated collegiate career in 2022. He finished as the program’s all-time career leader in points (454), field goal makes (85) and PAT makes (199) and won the 2018 Lou Groza Award, handed out to the top kicker in the FBS each year. He spent time with the Chicago Bears in 2023.

The Packers rounded out their kicking auditions with James McCourt and Jonathan Garibay, another UFL kicker who rivaled Szmyt as one of the league’s best kickers. Additionally, they worked out defensive end Andre Carter and cornerbacks Don Gardner and Josh Valentine-Turner, filling their plate with free agent evaluations.

The Packers had begun camp with three kickers on their 90-man roster, including James Turner after they claimed him off the waivers from the Detroit Lions on June 24. They released Turner on July 30, though, reducing their kicking competition to a two-man battle between Carlson — a 2023 sixth-round pick — and the veteran Joseph.

Whether the Packers will sign one of their three workout kickers remains to be seen, but their interest in other options does suggest they are not satisfied with the current battle.

Anders Carlson Struggled as Rookie Kicker in 2023

The Packers might simply be looking to update their records on available free agents with their recent workouts. It is not uncommon for them to bring in workout players every week for such purposes, especially during the regular season. Still, their specific interest in kickers adds a layer of intrigue to their current competition at camp.

The Packers came into 2024 looking to challenge Carlson after he struggled as their starter during his rookie season. Carlson made 81.8% (27-of-33) of his field goals and just 87.2% (34-of-39) of his extra points in 2023, finishing with the second-lowest Pro Football Focus grade (46.8) in the league among kickers with at least 25 field-goal tries.

More disappointingly, Carlson missed a crucial 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter of the Packers’ 24-21 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional round. His miss allowed the 49ers to rally and score a go-ahead touchdown in the final 70 seconds of regulation, a score that would have only tied them at 24 if Carlson had made his kick.

In the months that followed, the Packers added two kickers to compete with Carlson. They signed Jack Podlesny in January after their playoff loss but then added Joseph — who has 100 career field goal makes — giving Carlson true veteran competition.

The battle remains between Carlson and Joseph — for now — after two weeks of camp, but each kicker’s recent struggles could explain their interest in free agent kickers.

Could Andre Szmyt or Others Intensify Kicker Battle?

The Packers have not seen one kicker separate himself from the other through the first two weeks of training camp. According to Andy Herman of Pack-A-Day Podcast, Joseph has been a little bit sharper than Carlson in practice, going 37-of-41 on field goals while Carlson has gone 34-of-41 (by Herman’s unofficial tally), but the veteran is also trying to overcome his previous career inconsistencies — 100-of-121 (82.6%) in five seasons.

Could the uncertainty prompt the Packers to sign Szmyt or one of the other kickers?

The Packers could potentially sign one of their three workout kickers before their first preseason game against the Cleveland Browns on August 10, but they might prefer to wait until after they see how Carlson and Joseph handle themselves in the exhibition first. Accuracy in practice is much different than accuracy in a live-game situation, so Saturday’s game against the Browns should be valuable to the Packers’ evaluations.

It is also not guaranteed that the Packers walked away from their August 5 workouts feeling good about any of the three kickers. Szmyt had collegiate success and likely only missed out with the Bears because they had a proven vet in Cairo Santos, but no other NFL teams gave him a shot in 2023 — and there might be a good reason for that.

The Packers do have an available roster spot after releasing quarterback Jacob Eason on August 5. Whether they will fill it before their preseason opener remains to be seen.