BREAKING NEWS: The Green Bay Packers sign new place kicker.

In 2023, the Green Bay Packers exceeded expectations, but a sense of underachievement lingered among fans after a pivotal loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Despite leading for most of the game, the Packers found themselves trailing 24-21 in the fourth quarter.

The turning point came when kicker Anders Carlson missed a crucial 41-yard field goal, denying the Packers a seven-point lead. Although missed opportunities earlier in the game contributed to their predicament, those three points proved decisive. Today, the Packers announced the signing of competition for Carlson, bringing in a new kicker.

The new addition is Rodrigo Podlesny, who earned the title of SEC Special Teams Player of the Year during his senior season with the Bulldogs. Podlesny, not Carlson, was the first-team all-SEC kicker, boasting an impressive record of 26-of-31 field-goal attempts and 73-of-74 point-after tries. His kickoffs resulted in touchbacks about two-thirds of the time. Over three seasons, Podlesny achieved an 82.4 percent success rate on field goals, although it dropped to 56.5 percent from 40-plus yards. Notably, he clinched his freshman year with a game-winning 53-yard field goal in the Peach Bowl against Cincinnati.

Undrafted, Podlesny spent the offseason and part of training camp with the Minnesota Vikings, making a notable high-pressure kick. Green Bay drafted Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL draft, but despite a strong start, he struggled, missing 11 kicks in the regular season, an extra point in the wild-card win, and a field goal in the divisional round.

With the kicker position up for grabs in the 2024 season, Podlesny may be the first in a series of candidates trying out for the Packers’ kicking role until a suitable replacement is found. The expectations for the position remain high, especially following the departure of legendary kicker Mason Crosby.