The Green Bay Packers will be fighting for a trip to the playoffs later tonight — and if the game comes down to a field goal — they will turn to Anders Carlson if a critical moment arises.
Ahead of the 2023 season, the Packers parted ways with longtime kicker Mason Crosby, who has struggled to find a new team this season.
From Bart Starr and Vince Lombardi, to Reggie White, Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers(even if a portion of the fan base despises him). These are just some of the names that will always be synonymous with the Packers for the rest of time.
While there were plenty of times where fans were ranting over Crosby’s inconsistency and he isn’t universally beloved the same way other Green Bay legends are, his contributions to the franchise are undeniable.
He’s the Packers’ all-time leader in games played and consecutive games played. Even more notable, the veteran kicker is the leading scorer in franchise history. Those are major feats that can’t be ignored.
Crosby had a career that will earn him an induction into the Packers Hall of Fame one day.
Earlier this season, the former Packers kicker landed on the Rams practice squad but was cut shortly after.
Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Mason Crosby Gets Second Chance With New York Giants
All season long Crosby had made it clear to the league that he was staying ready in the event a team needed a veteran kicker. The Rams decided to sign Crosby to a contract earlier this month, however, he was released about a week later. Ahead of last week’s slate of games, it was reported that the New York Giants would become his second team this season after he signed a one-year deal with the team.
Just days after signing with the Giants, the former Green Bay Packers legendary kicker proved he still could make big-time kicks, connecting on a 52-yarder against the Philadelphia Eagles that put him in rare company
Mason Crosby casually drilling 52-yard FG’s.
Stillllll got it. pic.twitter.com/uCII7u0KoL
— GBP Daily – Rob Westerman lll (@GBPdaily) December 25, 2023
In the long 100+ year history of the Green Bay Packers, there have been just four players to have appeared in over 200 games for the team:
- Mason Crosby- 258
- Brett Favre- 255
- Aaron Rodgers- 230
- Donald Driver- 205
Legends like Bart Starr and Ray Nitschke came close, appearing in 196 and 190 games respectively; but just those four made it to 200.
And now, of those four, Driver is the only one to appear in 200 or more games with the Packers and none with another NFL team:
Mason Crosby Misses Long Field Goal That Would Give Giants Upset Over Rams
Green Bay fans became accustomed to Crosby’s inconsistent play over his long tenure with the franchise — and while a 54-yard field goal isn’t easy for any NFL kicker — the best in the business deliver from that distance in clutch moments.
Just one week after connecting on a clutch 52-yarder for his new time, Mason Crosby had a prime opportunity to give the New York Giants an upset over the Rams on Sunday and spoil their chances on reaching the playoffs as a NFC Wildcard.
Tyrod Taylor and the Giants offense orchestrated an impressive drive with a little over a minute remaining and no timeouts, and with no time left, Crosby took the field to pull off the improbable upset.
Mason Crosby 💀
Rams (-280) survive a thriller.
— Covers (@Covers) December 31, 2023
It would have been a prime opportunity for Crosby to get vengeance on the team that had just cut him and ruin their chances at reaching the playoffs, but the kick didn’t stand a chance. It went way wide left and the New York Giants ultimately fell 26-25.
1 Comment
It’s ridiculous when Packer fans call him consistent. He was one of the most consistent cold weather kickers in league history for a long time and had some pop in his leg when he was young.
He’s 57th all time in league history at around 81%, but only 5 percentage points separate him from another great cold weather kicker at 10th place all time: Robbie Gould. Only 24 kickers could be called elite (above 85%) and the next 33 that include Crosby are separated by fractions that indicate he’s as good as anyone in the tier below elite.
Shame he missed this one though!