Packers ink kicker Greg Joseph to challenge Anders Carlson

Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterMar 26, 2024, 12:37 PM ET

Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Green Bay Packers promised a kicking competition this offseason after Anders Carlson’s inconsistent rookie year, and now they have a veteran to do just that.

They are signing former Minnesota Vikings kicker Greg Joseph, according to his agent, Brett Tessler. A source said it’s a one-year deal.

Joseph, 29, has made nearly 83% of his field goals and more than 90% of his extra points in his five NFL seasons, including the past three in Minnesota.

Carlson, a sixth-round draft pick last season and the younger brother of Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson, missed 13 total kicks (extra points and field goals) in 19 games last season including the playoffs. He was 29 of 35 (82.9%) on field goals (82.9%) and 41 of 48 (85.4%) on extra points, including the postseason.

His most costly miss came in the divisional playoff loss to the 49ers, when he missed a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that would have given the Packers a seven-point lead.

General manager Brian Gutekunst, who drafted Carlson, did not opt to sign a veteran kicker late last season even as Carlson struggled, missing kicks in eight of the final 10 regular-season games.

Gutekunst said that wouldn’t be the case this offseason. In January, he signed Jack Podlesny, who was in training camp with the Vikings last season but has never kicked in an NFL game. It’s unlikely the Packers will keep three kickers on the offseason roster.

“He’s got to improve,” Gutekunst said recently of Carlson. “That’s important. I thought he did some really good things this year and he improved as the year went on, but that’s going to be important, and competition is going to be part of that.

“I think he had a good rookie year. You look at rookie years in the past around here, it’s tough to kick in this weather as everyone knows. I think he had a pretty solid year, but there’s going to need to be a curve of getting better if that’s going to continue. I do like the way he approaches it. He’s very calm and handles the pressure very well. I’m excited to see what he does in Year 2, but there will be competition in the room.”