While Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst were attending the NFL’s league meetings in Orlando on Tuesday, Brett Tessler of Tessler Sports reported that his client Greg Joseph would join the Packers as a placekicker in training camp, competing with 2023 rookie draft pick Anders Carlson. Joseph has previous NFL experience, having played for six different teams, the most recent being the Minnesota Vikings.
As Tessler pointed out, Joseph established the record for most game-winning field goals in a season with five. He also led the NFL in touchback percentage in 2021, a figure that may no longer be relevant now that the league has approved the XFL-style kickoff for a one-year trial period.
This wasn’t the first indication that the Packers were unhappy entering the summer with only one experienced kicker on the roster. Earlier this spring, it was claimed that Green Bay had agreed to sign a veteran kicker before the place kicker withdrew and selected another team.
Joseph and Carlson should have a meaningful kicking competition in 2024, as Carlson is on thin ice and Joseph signed a contract worth only $1.3 million, which hardly guarantees him a starting role.
Carlson placed 38th in the NFL among 41 place kickers who recorded at least one kick last season, according to Pro Football Focus, which evaluates based on makes and misses from various distances. Carlson’s 42.4 grade outperformed only Lucas Harvrisik, fellow 2023 rookie draft pick Chad Ryland, and Mason Crosby, the Packers’ all-time scoring leader who attempted eight field goals with the New York Giants last year.
Joseph ranked 26th, earning a grade of 64.2. That was Joseph’s highest PFF grade since his 71.0 season with the Tennessee Titans in 2019. Joseph’s statistics have generally been consistent with the league average. Don’t anticipate an All-Pro performance from the kicker, but even an average performance is a far cry from how the Packers fared in the kicking game last season.