All things considered, the Green Bay Packers had an excellent 2023 season. They exceeded expectations by going 9-8 in Year 1 of the Post-Aaron Rodgers Era and making the playoffs.
They even won a postseason game against the Dallas Cowboys before falling short in the divisional round to the San Francisco 49ers. The Packers would have advanced into the divisional round if Anders Carlson had not missed a critical field goal in that game.
Green Bay Packers need to shore up the kicker position.
However, the Green Bay Packers have moved on from that. It’s all about looking ahead for the club, which will try to build on their successful 2023 season as they prepare for the next one. And if the Packers want to continue their success, ESPN’s Matt Miller and Jordan Reid believe they should prioritize improving the kicker position.
Fix the kicking issue. Whether it’s continuing with Anders Carlson, who had a tough first year, bringing in some competition, or acquiring a proven veteran, they can’t afford to repeat what happened this season.
Carlson’s 41-yard field goal miss in the fourth quarter of the playoff defeat to the 49ers wasn’t the only one. It was an ongoing problem. This season, he missed 13 kicks (field goals and extra points, including playoffs), the most in the NFL and three more than any other kicker. Perhaps this is why some teams, such as the Packers, hesitate to draft kickers, as they did with Carlson in the sixth round. If they hadn’t invested a draft in Carlson, they might have brought in another kicker while allowing Carlson to work out his issues.
The Packers will have several fascinating free-agent possibilities to explore adding to their roster. Nick Folk, Ka’imi Fairbairn, Cameron Dicker, and Greg Zuerlein are among the potential free agent kickers in 2024.
The Packers can also just hope that Carlson improves and becomes less vulnerable to pressure in 2024, given that he has postseason experience. Then again, it wouldn’t hurt Green Bay to look into other kicker options.
