The Green Bay Packers kicking battle has been a tricky situation since the start of OTAs. The team has signed various kickers and has had three kickers on the roster nearly all the time. Incumbent kicker Anders Carlson suffered through an inconsistent rookie season, so GM Brian Gutekunst has brought in players to challenge the former sixth-round pick out of Auburn. Now the Packers kicking battle just took another strange twist.
Packers Kicking Battle Just Took Another Strange Twist: The Top Two Kickers
The Packers invested a draft pick on Carlson last season and had him as the heir apparent to Mason Crosby who had served as the team’s kicker since 2007. Carlson has a very strong leg but struggled with consistency in college.
That pattern continued in his rookie season with the Packers. He got off to a strong start to the season but eventually led the league in total missed kicks with 11. That included six field goals and five extra points. Carlson also missed a key field goal in the Packers playoff loss to the 49ers.
Shortly after the season ended, the Packers signed former Vikings kicker Greg Joseph. Joseph remains on the roster and is battling Carlson for the starting kicking spot. Joseph got off to a good start in training camp. In recent weeks, his performance has fallen off and he is struggling as well.
The Third Candidates
The team has brought in several other kickers to compete, but none have stuck. The Packers first signed Jack Podlesny but the undrafted free agent was let go after OTAs. Then, the team signed former University of Michigan kicker James Turner. He was let go earlier in training camp after he failed to impress Matt LaFleur and the coaching staff.
The present third kicker on the roster is Alex Hale. The Packers signed the former Oklahoma State star on August 7th. Thus far, despite being on the roster for the past two weeks, Hale has yet to kick in either of the team’s two preseason games. In practice, Hale has made 13-of-20 field goal tries. His longest kick has been 46 yards. All of his misses have been from 46 yards or longer with the biggest distance attempted being from 56 yards out.
Packers Kicking Battle Just Took Another Strange Twist: The Latest Move
On Wednesday, the Packers made a move that guaranteed the team would have at least two kickers in the organization once the season starts without taking up room on the practice squad.
The team released defensive end Kenneth Odumegwu and designated Hale as the team’s International Player Pathway player. The International Pathway program allows one player per team to stay on the practice squad with a roster exemption. That means instead of 16 players on the practice squad, the Packers can have 17.
This means that regardless of who the Packers choose to be their kicker, they will have an alternative available in Hale, who will get the chance to develop his craft with less pressure.
More On Alex Hale
The reason the Packers can place Hale in the International Pathway program is that he is a native of New South Wales, Australia.
He kicked at Oklahoma State and made 43-of-54 field goal tries there. He also had a streak of connecting on 47 consecutive extra points which ranked 10th all-time in school history.
He worked with former NFL kicker John Carney who has helped him practice and develop his skills. “He went out there and knocked a bunch of balls down just like it was every day of practice. Just nothing seems to faze him,” Carney told si.com.
Now, the Packers have made a bigger commitment to Hale. He can stay on the practice squad for up to two years under the program. If he kicks well and the kicker on the active roster is struggling, the Packers could always elevate Hale for a game or permanently sign him to the active roster permanently.
While nothing is set in stone, Hale appears to have earned a bigger chance to prove what he can do without even attempting a kick in a preseason game.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
Click here for more great Packers coverage
