Packers Activate Crosby Off PUP

Mason Crosby, who will turn 38 next week, spent training camp on the PUP list due to offseason knee surgery.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby’s march up the NFL’s all-time scoring list should continue during the Week 1 at the Vikings.

Crosby had surgery on his right knee during the offseason and spent all of training camp on the physically unable to perform list, though he had kicked behind the closed doors of the Hutson Center. Finally, Crosby was activated off PUP by Tuesday’s deadline.

While it’s possible Crosby could be a Week 1 inactive if he’s not quite ready, the release of talented Ramiz Ahmed at the risk of losing him off waivers would seem to signal the veteran will be ready to kick in a 16th consecutive season-opening game.

“I’m hitting all the marks,” Crosby said last week. “As of right now, this is six weeks out [from surgery] so that was kind of the goal was to be progressing and kicking more at this point. I hit a set inside today and felt really good. I’m just going to keep building off of that. The goal is obviously to be full-go and ready to go by Week 1.”

Crosby, a seventh-round pick in 2007, ranks among the league’s career leaders in scoring and field goals. Obviously, some of that is a byproduct of having a lengthy career. However, a kicker can’t have a long career if he’s not consistently doing his job. Aside from last season and 2012, he’s generally done his job at a high level considering the challenges of kicking in Green Bay.

Crosby enters the season ranked 14th all-time with 1,806 points. Robbie Gould, who is still kicking, is 13th with 1,830 points, Phil Dawson is 12th with 1,847, Stephen Gostkowski is 11th with 1,975 and Sebastian Janikowski is 10th with 1,913. So, with a typical Crosby season and assuming he can’t catch Gould, Crosby would end this season ranked 11th in scoring.

Also, Crosby is 17th in NFL history with 370 field goals. He’s three field goals behind Hall of Famer Jan Stenerud, who spent four seasons with the Packers, for 16th all-time. He’s also 13 behind Nick Lowery for 15th place, 16 behind David Akers for 14th place and 22 behind Stephen Gostkowski for 13th place. With a fourth season of 30 field goals, he’d become only the 12th kicker with 400.

Crosby will turn 38 on Saturday, eight days before the opener.

He has played in 241 consecutive games. Obviously, being a kicker is different than being a quarterback or linebacker, but that’s the longest active streak, regardless of position, by 80 games.

In his place, Gabe Brkic was consistently inconsistent. Following the first preseason game against the 49ers, the Packers replaced him with Ahmed. Ahmed, who made a 61-yard field goal in the USFL, had a strong camp and didn’t miss any kicks in his two preseason games.

“I thought he kicked really well in the game,” Crosby said last week. “He’s a good young guy. He’s actually been out for a little bit so he’s had some experience in the USFL. It’s been good getting to know him and just seeing how he works and trying to help him through the process of what it is to go through an NFL training camp.”