Getty Ex-Patriots kicker Chad Ryland worked out for the Packers.
With wideout Christian Watson dealing with a high ankle sprain and kicker Brayden Narveson struggling, the Green Bay Packers are looking at reinforcements.
Per NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Packers brought in four players for workouts on October 1: wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin, quarterback Gavin Hardison, and kickers Lucas Havrisik and Chad Ryland.
The Packers currently lead the NFL in missed field goals with four, so it’s no surprise head coach Matt LaFleur and company are looking for help in that area.
Watson, who went down with his ankle injury Week 4 against the Minnesota Vikings, is unlikely to go on injured reserve, but considering his injury history, it’s not going to raise any eyebrows that Green Bay is looking at options in that area, as well.
More About the Packers’ Latest Batch of Workouts
#Packers worked out Lideatrick Griffin, Gavin Hardison, Lucas Havrisik, Chad Ryland
Griffin signed with the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State shortly after the 2024 NFL draft. The Raiders waived him after making final roster cuts, and the Cleveland Browns picked him up on August 29, inking him to their practice squad. He didn’t last long there.
At 5-foot-10 and 181 pounds, Griffin is small, but he’s versatile and can contribute to the return game. In 12 games as a senior at Mississippi State, he hauled in 50 catches for 658 yards (13.2 yards per catch) and 4 receiving TDs.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein called Griffin “a gifted athlete with explosive acceleration and the tools to become a challenging man cover option.”
Another UDFA, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound Hardison signed with the Miami Dolphins after the 2024 draft. He was waived by Miami in late July. A former starter at UTEP, Hardison played in 37 games in college. He completed 53.7% of his passes for 7,962 yards, 40 TDs and 33 INTs.
The Packers also looked at the leg of Havrisik, who spent some time on the Colts’ practice squad in 2022 and 2023. He landed on L.A.’s roster in 2023, playing in nine games for the Rams, going 15-for-20 on his field goal attempts while making 19 of his 22 extra point tries.
The only drafted player of the bunch, Ryland was selected by the New England Patriots in the fourth round (112th overall) in 2023. He appeared in 17 games for the Patriots last season, hitting 16 of his 25 field goal attempts and 24 of his 25 extra point attempts.
Ryland was waived by the Patriots as part of their final roster cuts after losing the kicking job to Joey Slye this year.
Green Bay hasn’t signed any of the four, but that doesn’t mean the team won’t do so at a later date.
Packers Likely Looking for a New Kicker, Stat
Whether the Packers add Ryland, Havrisik, or someone else remains to be seen, but the team could use an accurate kicker.
In Green Bay’s 31-29 loss to the Vikings, Narveson missed a 37-yard attempt, which, according to NBC Sports, is the shortest missed field goal in the NFL so far this season.
Despite his early struggles, Narveson still has the confidence of LaFleur.
“I got a lot of confidence in Brayden,” LaFleur said after the team’s Week 4 loss to Minnesota, via NBC Sports. “I do. … It’s tough. We all want the results. I think he’s a young guy and a lot of times with young kickers that you go through this. Certainly, I think that he’s, I know that he’s disappointed.”
LaFleur is backing his kicker publicly, but the team also bringing in multiple players to try out for the role is also pretty telling.
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Packers Eyeing Ex-Dolphins QB, Former Patriots 4th-Rounder Amid Injury Issues