Over the last two seasons, Green Bay has struggled to kick the ball. Last year, it was Anders Carlson; this year, it is Brayden Narveson. The rookie has missed five goals in six games and is bottom in the NFL in field goal percentage at 70.6%.
In a league where most kickers treat 50-yard field goals as chip shots, having an unreliable kicker is unacceptable. A Super Bowl contender cannot afford to leave points on the board game after game with a kicker who is 5/9 on 40-yard attempts.
Much to the chagrin of Packers fans, the coaching staff is backing Narveson for now. However, that may not last much longer. According to Packers insider Ryan Wood, head coach Matt LaFleur has mentioned that practice squad kicker Alex Hale might be an option in Week 7.
Packers News: Matt LaFleur “Potentially” Considers Kicker Change.
LaFleur was unsure whether she would give Hale a look. When asked explicitly if the Packers are considering a move at kicker, LaFleur replied, “I wouldn’t say that right now, no.”
At the very least, we now know that if Narveson is benched, Hale will most likely take his spot. The undrafted free agent from Oklahoma State joined with the Packers in August as part of the NFL International Player Pathway Program. Hale, who is originally from Australia, ended his final collegiate season with a 27/34 (79.4%) field goal percentage and a 36/38 on extra point attempts
Those are not particularly enticing stats, but if Narveson continues to struggle, Hale may be worth considering.
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