A regular talking point out of Green Bay this offseason, the team’s kicker situation became a bit clearer Wednesday. The Packers have thinned their kicking group from three to two.
Green Bay waived Jack Podlesny, per a team announcement. The former Georgia specialist had signed a reserve/futures deal with the team in January and vied with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph during the offseason program.
A Vikings UDFA in 2023, Podlesny spent last year’s offseason in the Twin Cities but did not stick with the team leading up to roster-cutdown day. The Vikings moved on in mid-August, and Podlesny spent the rest of the season out of football. After Carlson struggled down the stretch last season, the Packers brought in some competition. But Joseph now represents the second-year kicker’s sole threat.
This news comes after a report that suggested the Packers could consider a three-way competition going into camp. Teams do not regularly bring three kickers to camp, however, as 90-man roster spots go to other areas. Joseph was the player who beat out Podlesny for the Vikings’ job last year, and he completed a third season as Minnesota’s kicker. After Joseph signed with the Packers in late March, the Vikings moved on via sixth-round pick Will Reichard.
Podlesny served as Georgia’s kicker during both the team’s recent national championship seasons. He made at least 81% of his field goals in each of this three seasons as the Bulldogs’ kicker, topping out with a 26-for-31 season in 2022. While the Packers may certainly look outside the organization if their kicker battle underwhelms, it is now slated to be a Carlson-Joseph matchup.
Cannot stress the importance enough from kickers as we’ve seen in recent years with the playoffs, and how crucial it is to a team for a player to make that kick. Obviously but it needs to be said. I know a kicker drafted higher than most, are more coveted by the team, not necessarily talking about a player coming off a rookie year. But when a player doesn’t perform, I hope they more can make that crucial adjustment when a player can’t make that kick. Lots of teams let it go, and it can really hurt. Instead of hoping it works out. And then it doesn’t.
Kickers generally get less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. How many players at other positions could handle the mental pressure of having to be successful more than 85% of the time? If other players were held to the same standard of achievement that is expected of kickers…there would be nobody on the roster.