There is still plenty of football to be played, but Green Bay Packers fans may have already run out of patience for rookie kicker Brayden Narveson.
Eyebrows were raised when Matt LaFleur decided to start the season with the undrafted kicker out of North Carolina State to prepare the team for a serious Super Bowl run. They chose him over Greg Joseph, who is playing well for the New York Giants.
While some may cede that Narveson still has plenty of growing pains as he is still getting used to the speed of NFL games, such performances are unforgivable for fans who want the team to make a push for the Lombardi trophy this year.
However, Matt LaFleur isn’t looking to alleviate their concerns any time soon as he announced his support of his rookie kicker.
Matt LaFleur supports Brayden Narveson as Green Bay Packers kicker despite early-season struggles
Matt LaFleur came to his rookie kicker’s defense after another questionable performance that makes Narveson’s inclusion in the squad questionable in the eyes of many Packers fans.
Per Acme Packing Company’s Justis Mosqueda:
“I got a lot of confidence in Brayden. I do. I think that — you know, it’s tough — we all want the results. I think he’s a young guy and a lot of times with young kickers that you go through this. Certainly, I think that he’s, I know that he’s disappointed. I’ve still got a lot of belief in him. I’ve seen it in practice. I told you guys from Day 1, the day he got here, and just have seen his ability. So, it’s just part of it. Unfortunately, it wasn’t his day, but I got a lot of confidence and wouldn’t blink if we have to put him in another situation.”
Brayden Narveson will find it great that his head coach is extending such a long leash for his performances, but he knows better than anyone that his showings are far from the expected standard. He has a subpar 69.2% FG rate through four games this season.
If he wants the online abuse to lessen, he needs to step up and be more accurate on the field. Otherwise, it will be a rough season for the 25-year-old.
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