The last player to survive the Green Bay Packers’ summer kicking competition was veteran Greg Joseph, who was named to the team’s initial 53-man roster after incumbent Anders Carlson and rookie Alex Hale were waived on Tuesday.
Statistically speaking, Joseph wasn’t the best kicker during camp practices and preseason games. He finished below 80 percent of his total recorded kicks — 60 of 76 overall, or 78.9 percent, according to Andy HermanBut Joseph finished the season robust — catching two field goals, including a 55-yarder — in the season finale, while Carlson’s missed 32-yard field goal brought back harrowing memories of his notable misses slow last season. Hale, a rookie out of Oklahoma State, is the Packers’ designated International Player Pathway player and will have an open spot on the practice squad Wednesday.
Now that Joseph is the last player left on the field, the question becomes: Will his victory last longer than a day?
Packers coach Matt LaFleur has made it clear the team will be looking at potential upgrades on the waiver wire. And the final cuts gave Brian Gutekunst a few options to look at before he claims the waiver on Wednesday.
Here are all the extras released during final cuts:
Lucas Havrisik (Browns)
Spencer Schrader (Colts)
Chad Rhyland (Patriots)
Austin Seibert (Jets)
Jude McAtamney (Giants)
Charlie Smyth (The Saint)
Matthew Wright (Steelers)
Brayden Narveson (Titans)
Riley Patterson (Commanders)
There’s no slam dunk, no miss. The Packers’ personnel department will have to really dig deep to figure out if any of the available kickers have the potential to be better than Joseph, who was the Minnesota Vikings’ kicker from 2021-2023 before joining the Packers. Joseph’s career field goal percentage is 82.6, and his extra point percentage is just 90.6. While he has a huge leg (he’s topped 50 yards 15 times in his career), Joseph is certainly unstable. His missed 47-yard field goal in Denver in the preseason wasn’t even close.
But sometimes it’s better to know the devil than to know the devil, and the Packers will have a good idea of ​​Joseph’s kicking skills because they faced him in this division for three years and now after a summer when he competed in Green Bay.
Also, keep in mind that Joseph is a veteran with a lot of experience, so his contract will be fully guaranteed through the 2024 season if he makes the roster in Week 1. Joseph signed a one-year deal worth just $1.3 million, so the price tag isn’t too high. But his entire salary will count against the cap if the Packers need to make a change in the middle of the season.
Waiver claims must be filed by 11 a.m. ET on Wednesday. If the deadline passes without the Packers adding a modern kicker, Joseph could end up being the team’s kicker in 2024.
