GREEN BAY, Wis. — By the point the Inexperienced Bay Packers bought to the tip of their summerlong place-kicking competitors, they punted.
After an underwhelming battle between their 2023 kicker, Anders Carlson, and veteran Greg Joseph, normal supervisor Brian Gutekunst in the long run picked neither. As a substitute, he claimed rookie Brayden Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday.
The Packers had initially minimize Carlson on Tuesday however saved Joseph for a day till the waiver claims have been awarded. Neither is predicted again on the Packers’ follow squad. Australian Alex Hale, a part of the Worldwide Participant Pathway program, is the follow squad kicker.
“That is uncharted territory, I’d say, that I have been in, in my time within the league,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned Wednesday. “You simply have to come back in and carry out. I do not know the way else to place it. Nevertheless it’s positively a novel state of affairs.”
When requested tips on how to get a kicker he has by no means seen in recreation motion prepared for the season opener towards the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil, LaFleur added: “Not a query for me. That could be a query for [special teams coordinator] Wealthy Bisaccia.”
Nevertheless, LaFleur did say having a brand new, untested kicker may alter some in-game choices, not less than early.
“Completely, one hundred pc, yeah,” he mentioned. “I feel you have to bear in mind all of the circumstances. No completely different although like if you exit and there is inclement climate. Typically that impacts a few of the decision-making you make. We’ll see. No less than we’ll get a pair days with him to form of get a really feel for him as he performs. What’s exhausting is you simply have no recreation expertise with him. However he did a pleasant job in Tennessee, I do know that.”
Narveson made 79% of his area purpose tries in faculty; he hung out at three completely different faculties, most lately at NC State in 2023, earlier than he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Titans. In two preseason video games, he made 6 of seven area objectives, together with a 59-yarder and a game-winner, plus each of his additional factors. However the Titans determined to stay with veteran Nick People.
The Packers gave up on Carlson, their sixth-round decide from 2023, after he failed to point out sufficient enchancment over his rookie season to persuade Gutekunst that he had improved.
“I am in all probability not as affected person with specialists as I needs to be, I am actually not,” Gutekunst mentioned. “However on the similar time, I am very assured on this group and what we are able to accomplish, so I need to ensure that we give this group each alternative to win.
“So there’s going to be an ordinary that we will attempt to attain.”
Gutekunst mentioned it wasn’t Carlson’s miss from 32 yards late in final week’s preseason finale towards the Baltimore Ravens that resulted in his determination however reasonably your complete physique of labor. Nevertheless, that kick was paying homage to a 41-yarder Carlson missed within the fourth quarter of a 24-21 divisional playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers final season.
In addition to kicker, the opposite hotly contested place battle for the Packers within the preseason was at backup quarterback. For the reply there, in addition they turned to the Titans, who traded Malik Willis to the Packers for a seventh-round decide. Willis arrived in time to follow with the Packers on Wednesday, and Gutekunst mentioned he believed the 2022 third-round decide can rise up to hurry shortly sufficient to function Jordan Love’s backup for the opener.
“I did not get up considering I used to be going to be traded,” Willis mentioned of his ending in Tennessee. “So it positively caught me unexpectedly. Greater than something, you simply take it [for] what it’s. Fast turnaround, and the season’s beginning. There isn’t any extra lounging round and kinda preparing for the season. That is what it’s. There isn’t any time to actually give it some thought. It is time to go.”
The Packers additionally re-signed quarterback Sean Clifford to the follow squad, and he may very well be an choice if Willis is not prepared for the Eagles recreation Sept. 6. Clifford served as Love’s backup final season, however neither he nor rookie Michael Pratt separated themselves within the preseason.
“I feel definitely there have been some underwhelming performances at occasions,” Gutekunst mentioned of Clifford and Pratt. “However on the similar time, Malik is a man that definitely, he is in his third 12 months and he actually has proven lots of development, significantly this preseason. It was simply a chance for us so as to add a man that I feel can’t solely make performs together with his arm however together with his legs, as nicely. I am excited to get him, get him within the constructing and see the place that goes.”
