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For as much optimism as there is around the Green Bay Packers heading into 2024, kicker Anders Carlson could still end up being a massive disappointment for the team.
Every team is bound to have a disappointing player this year. Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon predicted who that would be for all 32 teams. He made his case for why Carlson could end up being that bust for the Packers.
“Kickers are fickle,” Kenyon wrote. “After a single misfire in seven games to start 2023, Anders Carlson missed a kick in 10 of Green Bay’s next 12 outings. Lost confidence is a real challenge for specialists, and a similar kind of struggle could lead to Carlson not making it through 2024 on the roster.”
The Packers drafted Carlson to be their starting kicker in 2023. Now, there’s a chance that they could be cutting ties with him in just his second season.
Added Kicking Competition For the Packers
Carlson led the NFL with 13 missed kicks last season. Now, the Packers are exploring all options to put some pressure on him heading into training camp.
The Packers currently have three kickers on their roster. Carlson may have been the starter last season, but he isn’t the most established kicker the Packers have.
That title belongs to Greg Joseph. The Packers signed him to a one-year deal back in May with the intention to have him battle it out with Carlson for the starting job. Joseph currently holds an NFL record with five game-winning field goals in a single season while playing for the Minnesota Vikings.
As a 29-year-old with 100 made field goals in his NFL career, Joseph might be the favorite to win the starting job. That doesn’t mean that James Turner won’t have a chance, however.
Turner is an undrafted free agent coming off a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines. He previously kicked for Louisville, but transferred to Michigan for his final college season. Although he doesn’t appear to have a great leg with a career-long field goal of only 50 yards, he could end up surprising everyone at training camp.
However, expect it to be a two-kicker race between Carlson and Joseph for Green Bay’s starting spot.
Green Bay’s Other Training Camp Battles
The kicker spot will be drawing plenty of attention from local reporters in training camp. However, that’s not the only position where players will be competing for a starting job.
Cornerback will be a key position for Packers fans to monitor. Jaire Alexander will hold down a starting spot, but the other starting outside corner will be between Eric Stokes and Carrington Valentine. Stokes has battled injuries over the last couple of years while Valentine had a breakout rookie campaign.
A healthy Stokes could be a legitimate starter, but training camp will give everyone a more clear picture of the team’s plans at the position.
First-round pick Jordan Morgan will also have a big training camp battle to find a starting spot on the offensive line. Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins are virtually guaranteed starters, while Rasheed Walker will likely hold down the left tackle spot.
With Josh Myers presumably playing center, that just leaves one of the guard spots open for Morgan. Expect him to have to battle against Sean Rhyan to find his way into the starting lineup.
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