Big-Kick History Gives Joseph an Edge in Packers’ Kicking Battle

Greg Joseph has won kicking battles in his NFL career. He’s also won a bunch of games. He’ll lean on that experience in the Packers’ three-man kicking derby.

Greg Joseph kicked the winning field goal to beat the Packers in 2021. / Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Greg Joseph shouldn’t be bothered by the pressure of the Green Bay Packers’ three-man kicking competition. After all, with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, Joseph booted an NFL-record five game-winning field goals.

The greatest of them all was a 61-yard field goal that shocked the New York Giants.

“That was a fun one, for sure,” Joseph said at Packers OTAs on Tuesday following the latest round in his battle with Anders Carlson and Jack Podlesny. “Just taking in, cherishing every team win, every moment, every opportunity you get like that, they’re all fun and all fond memories I’ll hold forever.”

Joseph made 6-of-7 field goals at practice on Tuesday. The lone miss came while being surrounded by teammates who were cheering and dousing him with water. With a big leg and a history of big-time kicks, he appears to be the primary challenger to the incumbent kicker, Carlson.

“Me vs. me,” Joseph said of the battle. “Obviously, every year’s a new year, so just focus on getting better each and every day, working on my craft. Simple as that.”

But is it really that simple? This will be a winner-takes-all battle. There is no backup kicker. The winner will be the Packers’ kicker for Week 1 against the Eagles. The loser probably will head home to train on his own with no guarantee he’ll get another opportunity.

So, how do you not constantly track the competition?

“When I’m not kicking, I go visualize, take my steps on the other side,” Joseph said. “Of course, it’s not realistic to think you’re not going to see a kick or two, but just knowing how it works now, I know where to look and when not to look and just stay in my own world.”

A native of Johannesburg, South Africa, who grew up in Florida and played collegiately at Florida Atlanta, Joseph went undrafted in 2018. He was the Cleveland Browns’ kicker for the final 14 games of his rookie season. He joined the Tennessee Titans for their run to the AFC Championship Game in 2019 and spent most of 2020 on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad.

From 2021 through 2023, he was the Vikings’ kicker. He made 82.6 percent of his field goals and 90.3 percent of his point-after attempts during that span, even while having the luxury of playing his home games inside U.S. Bank Stadium. By comparison, Carlson made 81.8 percent of his field-goal attempts and 87.2 percent of his extra-point tries.

“He’s been an indoor kicker now for a while, so being here is a little bit interesting,” special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said before the start of OTAs. “In our conversation with him, he hasn’t played well here. So, him playing in these conditions is a little bit different for him, as well. He’s got a tremendous leg.”

Tremendous but inconsistent. With the Vikings, he made 50-of-51 field-goal attempts from inside of 40 yards. From 40 to 49 yards, he made 17-of-23. From 50-plus yards, he converted 15-of-26. On extra points, he was just 112-of-124 (90.3 percent).

For his career, he made 84.1 percent of his field goals at home and 81.0 percent on the road. At Lambeau Field, he’s 3-of-7 on field goals – 1-of-1 on Jan. 2, 2022, 1-of-3 on Jan. 1, 2003, and 1-of-3 on Oct. 29, 2003.

“I’m excited for it,” he said of the possibility of kicking in the Lambeau cold. “Obviously, it’s one of the most historic stadiums in the league.”

Longtime Packers kicker Mason Crosby made a living driving the ball between the goalposts during those cold Wisconsin winters. Crosby wore No. 2, which happens to be the jersey given to Crosby.

“We’ll see what happens when I make the team, jersey-wise,” Joseph said.

For Joseph to make the team, he’s going to have to knock off Carlson and Podlesny. Having gone through kicking battles throughout his career, he knows what it takes.

And where to focus.

“Some guys might thrive off watching other people kick,” he said. “I thrive in being in my own world because that’s where I really learned it’s me vs. me and focus on what I do and to get better on what I do each and every day, because that’s the only thing I can control.

“I don’t control what they do or anything outside of what Greg Joseph does kicking-wise.”

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