Hope springs eternal at the start of September around the National Football League, but fans will soon start watching games and remember that all their teams have issues.
The Green Bay Packers are luckier than most. They know who their franchise quarterback is, and they've surrounded him with a dynamic roster, and a relatively young one to boot. This should be a team competing for the playoffs and possibly beyond.
That said, the Packers know only one team can hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February, and there are plenty of things that could prevent them from winning their first in 14 years.
One issue that the Packers have might not draw the most television eyeballs in the preseason. But it's something that could very well derail a championship season if not attended to properly.
Matt Schneidman, the Packers beat reporter for The Athletic, said on Tuesday that the Packers' "biggest concern" heading into the 2024 season was the kicker position.
"Mason Crosby was the Packers’ kicker for 16 seasons from 2007 through 2022," Schneidman said. "The player they intended to be his replacement, 2023 sixth-round pick Anders Carlson, is already gone."
"Their Week 1 kicker will be undrafted rookie Brayden Narveson, whom they claimed off waivers from the Titans on Wednesday. Narveson made 6 of 7 field goals during preseason games, including a 59-yarder and a game-winner against the Seahawks as time expired, but can he kick in the elements at Lambeau Field?"
Any true football fan knows having an unreliable kicker is no trivial issue. It's cost many teams their seasons before, including just last year, when the Buffalo Bills' Tyler Bass missed a 44-yard kick wide right to end the Bills' season against the hated Kansas City Chiefs yet again.
It was clear in 2023 that Carlson was not ready to be the Packers' long-term solution at kicker, so in one sense, it's good that they cut bait with him and started fresh. But there's no telling at this point whether Narveson will be any better.
Packers fans hope that by midseason, the kicking question is a non-issue. They'll hope either Narveson will step in and do a great job, or that Green Bay somehow finds another, better kicker quickly.
But in this league, you can't rely on a kicker until he's proven several times over that he's trustworthy. And if the Packers leave all else to chance, there's a chance their season could come down to one very nerve-wracking kick.
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