The Green Bay Packers made the somewhat unpopular decision to move on from franchise-leading scorer Mason Crosby this offseason. Instead, they drafted Anders Carlson in the sixth round to be their kicker for 2023 and beyond. While neither the organization nor Crosby completely closed the door regarding a possible reunion, the chances of one happening became smaller and smaller as the offseason and training camp progressed.
While Carlson has had his struggles, he also has had some pretty amazing accomplishments, including nailing a 57-yard field goal into the wind against the Seattle Seahawks this past Saturday. From the top down, organization leaders have been adamant that they will practice patience with their young kicker, just as they did with Crosby when he was drafted.
Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Mason Crosby Is Still a Free Agent
So far, Crosby has not had any real substantial contact, at least none that has been reported, with NFL teams. That being said, analysts and writers have suggested Crosby as a possible fit for kicker needy teams such as the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and Dallas Cowboys.
Unfortunately for Crosby, the Browns recently acquired Dustin Hopkins via trade with the Los Angeles Chargers, taking one of those teams off of his possible list. On Tuesday, the day teams need to trim their rosters to 53 players, another kicker needy team worked out a trade, diminishing Crosby’s chances of finding a team in 2023.
The Denver Broncos Acquire Wil Lutz in Trade with the New Orleans Saints
Ian Rapoport reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the Broncos traded for New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz. The deal reunites Lutz with Sean Payton, who is the former Saints head coach:
Reunion: The #Broncos are trading for #Saints K Wil Lutz, source said. Back with Sean Payton.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 29, 2023
Crosby continues to train on his own and is open to play for any team in 2023. Of note, Crosby is a Texas native and his former head coach, Mike McCarthy, is the coach of the Cowboys, another kicker needy team. As the Week One gets closer and closer, could the Cowboys make the decision drop their struggling kicker and add Crosby?
Only time will tell, but kicking indoors for most of the season can only help extend Crosby’s career. It would be a smart decision for Dallas, but they have not indicated that they are looking outside of the organization to improve the position.
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