Green Bay Packers fans made their feelings pretty clear about new kicker Anders Carlson after he went 1-6 on field goal attempts during practice on Saturday. As I documented here, many fans were calling for Mason Crosby to be brought back into the fold.
However, these reactions completely ignored the fact that Carlson started training camp 5-6 and that fans were calling for Crosby’s release for years before he hit free agency. In his daily mailbox article on Monday, Packers writer Mike Spofford explained what Carlson’s next steps will be.
The Green Bay Packers Want to See How Anders Carlson Responds
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Let us not forget the incredible job Rich Bisaccia has done with the Packers’ special teams. After a slow start (due to the failed Amari Rodgers experiment), special teams was better than it had been in years. Bisaccia also turned Carlson’s brother, Daniel Carlson, from a “failed” kicker into an All-Pro with the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Packers know that patience is the key. A decision cannot be made after one bad day of practice. Spofford does a really nice job of explaining how the team and Carlson should approach the situation:
“What matters now is not that it happened but how he responds to it. His next kicking session will be revealing, followed by the progression to brighter lights on Family Night and in the preseason games.”
Adversity will come in the NFL. Mason Crosby had multiple seasons in which he struggled, let alone had a bad day at practice. As Spofford notes, what will really show the Packers that Carlson was worth their pick of him in the 2023 NFL Draft will be how he responds to it.
Right now, Carlson is the only kicker in camp. While the Packers have not closed the door completely on a reunion with Crosby, the job is Carlson’s to lose. One bad day is not going to cost him his job. That being said, if he fails to respond well to it, Green Bay could be on the phone soon.
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