Even if the Green Bay Packers performed better than expected in 2023, almost all supporters believe that the club underperformed when against the San Francisco 49ers. Before the 49ers seized a 24-21 lead late in the fourth quarter, the Packers had the lead for almost the whole game.
In the fourth quarter, kicker Anders Carlson missed a field goal from 41 yards out that would have put the Packers ahead by seven points. Those three points were the difference, even though the Packers had plenty of chances to put the game out of reach before the failed field goal. The Packers revealed today that they have added some competition for Carlson.
The kicker that the Green Bay Packers sign will compete against Anders Carlson.
Bill Huber reports that Kicker Jack Podlesny has signed with the Packers:
After making 26 of 31 field goals and 73 of 74 point-after attempts during his final season with the Bulldogs, Podlesny was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. Two of the missed field goals were during the playoff victory over Ohio State. Approximately 63% of his kickoffs ended in touchbacks. Podlesny was the first-team all-SEC kicker—not Carlson.
He hit 82.4 percent of his field goals in three seasons, although just 56.5 percent of them came from forty yards or more. He kicked a 53-yard field goal to defeat Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl to end his rookie campaign.
Regarding the winning kick, Podlesny said, “I was trying to treat it like any other kick while trotting out there.” I’ll be honest with you: I kind of blacked out during that encounter, so I don’t recall anything.
“Actually, I was thinking about it the other day. I’ve always discussed this with my sports psychologist: picture yourself in situations you’ve been in previously and keep in mind that experience because positive experiences can lead to positive ones. When I hit that, I knew it was a clean shot, so I was thinking, “It better go in,” and when I looked up and saw it split the posts, I was ecstatic.
Podlesny spent the offseason and the first part of training camp with the Minnesota Vikings after being passed over for the draft. Although he attempted a high-pressure kick to conclude the offseason training, he did not attempt any kicks during the preseason.
Carlson was chosen by Green Bay in the sixth round of the NFL Draft in 2023. Even though he made his first 17 kicks, he was unable to break out of a rut. He missed a field goal in the divisional round and an extra point in the wild-card victory at Dallas after missing 11 kicks in the regular season.
When the 2024 season rolls around, there’s no doubt that the kicker position will be open. Fans had bigger expectations than what kicker Mason Crosby provided this season, even if many thought it was time to move on.
Podlesny might be the first of several applicants to test out for the starting kicker position with the Packers until they feel comfortable enough.
