Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on during the first half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 09, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan.
The Green Bay Packers are swapping out kickers on their training-camp roster as veteran starter Mason Crosby continues his recovery from knee surgery.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire for August 14, the Packers waived rookie kicker Gabe Brkic with an injury designation on Sunday and signed former USFL standout Ramiz Ahmed to take his place as the lone healthy kicker on their roster.
Brkic was claimed off the waivers from the Minnesota Vikings back on June 14 and has served as the Packers’ primary kicker since the start of training camp with Crosby still rehabbing his knee on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. Unfortunately, head coach Matt LaFleur said Brkic “tweaked” his hamstring during pregame warmups for last Friday’s preseason opener against the San Francisco 49ers, which likely contributed to him shanking his only field-goal attempt wide left from just 32 yards out.
While the extent of Brkic’s injury was never shared, it stands to reason he was expected to miss time considering the Packers went through the trouble of cutting him loose. They have a reliable veteran in Crosby once he is healthy again, but someone needs to be available for the preseason action — and that someone is now the 27-year-old Ahmed.
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Ahmed Stood Out for USFL Maulers
Ahmed doesn’t have much of an NFL resume at this point in his career. He competed with Eddy Pinero for the kicking job in Chicago ahead of the 2020 season, but the Bears released him only partway into camp and didn’t have a preseason game to play him in.
Earlier this year, though, Ahmed got some quality playing time in the USFL as the starting placekicker for the Pittsburgh Maulers. He made 14 of his 22 field goals — including a 61-yarder — and seven of his 10 extra points over 10 games for the Maulers and finished as the league’s third-highest-scoring kicker with 49 total points. He was also their kickoff specialist, recording a league-leading touchback percentage of 45.9% and giving him the ideal experience to be the Packers’ temporary option.
The Packers aren’t likely to evaluate Ahmed as a potential starting candidate since Crosby is expected to return in time for Week 1, but he will get at least one full preseason game to show what he can do. If he performs well, he might even get some consideration for a practice-squad spot with the team during the regular season.
Brkic Reverts to Injured Reserve (For Now)
The Packers have not fully moved on from Brkic just yet. The NFL’s transaction wire for Monday, August 15, showed that the rookie kicker went unclaimed on the waivers and, thus, reverted back to the Packers’ injured reserve list, where he does not count against the team’s 90-man roster limit. Unfortunately, that leaves just two roads for the Brkic, and neither one of them leads to an immediate role with the Packers.
The most logical route would be the Packers eventually releasing Brkic with an injury settlement once he is healthy. Unless his injury is severe, he will most likely be clear to play again at some point during the 2022 season — maybe even before camp ends. If the Packers opted to release him, he would have a chance to sign with another team and potentially contend for a roster spot in the upcoming year.
The Packers could also decide to keep him for developmental value for next season, as Crosby is in the final year of his contract and will turn 38 in less than a month, but it does deprive Brkic of opportunities if he heals up and is left to wait.