Earlier this offseason, the Green Bay Packers accomplished one of their primary goals by locking in a reliable kicker for the foreseeable future. Brandon McManus, who was signed mid-season after Brayden Narveson struggled through the first seven weeks, inked a three-year $15.3 million contract to stay with the Packers.
In 2024, McManus made 20/21 field goals attempts, his 95.2% percentage ranking second in franchise history for a single season. At the time of his addition, Narveson had the worst field goal percentage in the NFL among qualified kickers with 70.6%.
The Green Bay Packers Started the 2024 Offseason with Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph Competing for the Starting Job
Of course, neither McManus nor Narveson were part of Green Bay’s roster when the 2024 offseason began. Anders Carlson, who was drafted in 2023 to replace franchise leading scorer Mason Crosby. The expectation, of course, was that he would continue the reliable kicking standard that Crosby had set during his 16 seasons with the Packers.
But he did not.
As a rookie, Carlson made 81.8% of his field goals and a woeful 87.2% of his extra points. Due to his struggles, Green Bay signed veteran kicker Greg Joseph to compete with Carlson for the starting job in 2024.
Unfortunately, both were underwhelming in training camp and the preseason, leading the Packers to release both of them and sign Narverson.
Former Green Bay Packers Kicker Greg Joseph Hopes to Find a Home with the San Francisco 49ers
After being released by the Packers, Joseph, who has a career field goal percentage of 82.3% and has made more game-winning field goals than anyone in NFL history, bounced around the NFL. He beat out Carlson for a spot on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad, but was soon claimed by the New York Giants, with whom he played six games.
However, the Giants were only using him as a placeholder and eventually released him. Joseph also appeared in a game apiece for the Washington Commanders and New York Jets in 2024. He finished the season with an 80% field goal percentage and made all of his extra points.
Earlier on Friday, it was reported that he is joining the San Francisco 49ers, hoping that he will win their starting job:
49ers are signing veteran kicker Greg Joseph to a one-year deal, per his agent @TesslerSports.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 16, 2025
Joseph will be competing against Jake Moody, whom the 49ers inexplicably drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Last season, Moody played 14 games while dealing with some injuries, and made just 70.6% of his field goals.
If Joseph has a good training camp, there is a good chance he could displace Moody in San Francisco.
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