Getty Kicker Mason Crosby of the Green Bay Packers.
The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a crowded playoff hunt elbowing with a handful of competitors for a Wildcard berth, and one of those rivals will now use a former Packers weapon against them in the fight.
Former Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby signed with the Los Angeles Rams practice squad on Wednesday, December 6, but the team doesn’t plan to keep him as a practice player for long.
“The #Rams are signing veteran K Mason Crosby to their practice squad with the intention of moving him up to the active roster in the near future, source says,” Garafolo posted to X. “After 16 years kicking for the #Packers, the 39-year-old Crosby will suit up for his second NFL team.”
Mason Crosby Had Historic Career With Green Bay Packers
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby reacts after missing a field goal during overtime against the Cincinnati Bengals in October 2021.
Crosby is a 16-year veteran of the NFL and will make it 17 if, and when, he attempts a kick for the Rams in 2023.
The kicker spent the entirety of his career to this point in Green Bay, where he set the all-time scoring record with 1,918 points. Crosby never earned Pro Bowl or All-Pro honors, though he did help the franchise win its fourth Super Bowl following the 2010 campaign.
Crosby has connected on 81.4% of his 485 career field goal attempts and made 97.3% of his 753 extra point tries, per Pro Football Reference. He led the NFL in extra points attempted and made three times (2008, 2011, 2020). Crosby also made good on 100% of his field goal tries in the 2020 season to lead the league in field goal percentage.
Green Bay replaced Crosby with rookie kicker Anders Carlson, who the team selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft (No. 207 overall) out of Auburn. Carlson, the younger brother of Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, is 17-of-21 on fields goal tries this season and has made 23-of-26 extra points.
Packers, Rams Battling for NFC Wild Card Playoff Spot
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby signed with the Los Angeles Rams ahead of Week 14.
Should the Rams elevate Crosby as Garafolo predicted, he will take the place of first-year kicker Lucas Havrisik. The 24-year-old out of Arizona has made just 70% of his field goal tries in 2023 (7-of-10) and is 10-of-11 on extra points through five games played this season.
Crosby may only be a marginal upgrade in terms of connection percentage, but his true value will reside in making high-pressure kicks in big moments — something the Rams are likely to need if they hope to find their way into the playoffs.
Los Angeles is currently 6-6 and has a 43.8% chance to make the postseason, according to ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI). The Packers are also 6-6 and have a 68% chance to earn an NFC playoff berth. The difference, or at least the majority of it, is because of the two teams’ competing schedules.
Green Bay lays claim to the NFL’s weakest strength of schedule with five contests remaining and has won three straight games. The toughest contest still ahead of the team is likely to be a battle with the Minnesota Vikings on New Year’s Eve in Minneapolis.
The Rams, on the other hand, still have road games against the Baltimore Ravens and the San Francisco 49ers, both of which are currently the No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences. The Packers also bested the Rams in their head-to-head matchup this season, winning by a score of 20-3 at Lambeau Field on November 5.