Could Potential Rodgers Trade Kick Crosby Out of Green Bay?

The Green Bay Packers might be ready to move on from their longtime kicker, free agent Mason Crosby.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 14, 2023 3:11 PM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Longtime Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby, who has scored more points in franchise history than the next two players on the franchise career list combined, might have played his last game for the team.

If the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets, his residual cap number would be $40.3 million. That’s more than his still-on-the-roster cap charge of $31.6 million. That $8.69 million difference would take a big bite out of Green Bay’s remaining cap space.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Packers have about $20.81 million of cap space. However, once the rookie class is accounted for, their effective cap space falls to a shade under $17 million. Adding the impact of a Rodgers trade, Green Bay would have $8.24 million of cap space.

With the Packers, presumably, no longer a championship contender as they transition to Jordan Love, a source said they might prefer to go younger and cheaper at kicker. In fact, they might not have a choice.

Crosby’s cap number in 2022 was $4.735 million.

Even as the second-oldest kicker in the NFL, Crosby is coming off a strong season and will have suitors in free agency.

In 2022, he made 25-of-29 field-goal attempts, his 86.2 percent success rate ranking as the fifth-best in his career and a strong bounce-back from his 73.5 percent in 2021. One of the season highlights was his 56-yard blast through the cold Lambeau Field air against Minnesota in Week 17, the kick hitting the crossbar and bouncing over.

It was the longest field goal by a Packers kicker in Lambeau Field history.

Not bad for a 38-year-old.

Crosby struggled on kickoffs all season – they were the worst in the NFL by distance and hangtime. However, some of the leg-strength issues stemmed from offseason knee surgery. Rather than his usual ramp-up into the season, Crosby spent all of training camp rehabbing the injury and didn’t start live kicking until the week before the season-opening game.

Is Crosby’s leg still of NFL-caliber?

“I believe so,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said at the Scouting Combine. “As you guys know, he went through a pretty significant little injury right before the injury started. I don’t know if he was ever really able to completely catch up because of what we were asking him to do. He had to go out there and kick for us right away. So, I think it’s a credit to him.”

Crosby, who will turn 39 just before the start of the 2023 regular season, is one of the most accomplished kickers in NFL history. His wealth of knowledge about kicking in Lambeau Field in January can’t be overstated.

In January home games (regular season and playoffs), Crosby is 27-of-30, or 90.0 percent. Opposing kickers in those same games are 27-of-36, or 75.0 percent.

The only kicker under contract is Parker White, who was signed to a futures contract.

“To be able to kick in Lambeau Field in clutch situations, any new kicker, that’s going to be tough for those guys. That takes time. Mason has that,” Gutekunst said. “He has the experience and stuff. I think you’ll see a stronger leg and different power in his legs on kickoffs this coming year because he won’t be coming off that surgery.”

Crosby has scored 1,918 career points. That ranks 11th in NFL history. Only seven players have scored 2,000.

Will Crosby reach that milestone in Green Bay? Perhaps not. Will he join the caravan of players who might head to New York to play for the Jets? No. They just re-signed Greg Zuerlein.