Packers Likely To Keep Mason Crosby

Mason Crosby‘s five misses cost the Packers a win on Sunday, but it doesn’t sound like they’ll be making a kicking change. On Monday, head coach Mike McCarthy indicated that the club isn’t exploring outside options to replace the 34-year-old. 

[RELATED: Chargers Won’t Make Kicker Change]

“He’s got to make those kicks. He’s a proven highly successful kicker, and I believe in him but he’s got to make those kicks. It’s a different game at halftime (if he makes those three first-half) kicks,” McCarthy said (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky).

Crosby missed four of five field goal attempts in the Packers’ 31-23 loss to the Lions. He also missed an extra point in the second half of an uncharacteristically poor performance.

Crosby has been with the Packers since 2007 and the club has stuck by him through trying times before. In some games, it seemed like Crosby couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn, but the Packers retained him despite a league-low 63.6% conversion rate. Their faith in him was rewarded as he nailed 85% of his attempts from 2013-2017.

“I think he’s one of the greatest kickers of all time,” Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said of Crosby. “I’ve always said he and Robbie Gould, what they do in the elements over the years is some of the finest kicking that I’ve seen in my time. Obviously he’s disappointed. I don’t think he expected this. We have a ton of faith in him. He’s done it for a long time, made some big kicks for us over the years. They’ve got to clean the operation up: snap, hold and he’s got to make them.”