Packers claim rookie Brayden Narveson off waivers and make him their kicker

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After having Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph compete for their placekicking job throughout training camp, the Green Bay Packers decided their best option was finding someone else.

The Packers claimed Brayden Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday and released Joseph. Those moves came one day after Green Bay cut Carlson, a 2023 sixth-round pick.

“We were monitoring the league,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said. “Brayden was a kid that we liked coming out, and then he had an excellent preseason there in Tennessee. As it unfolded and he was let go, we thought it was an opportunity to get a really good young kicker and give them a shot at it.”

Narveson had an impressive preseason for Tennessee, though he never had much of a chance of unseating Nick Folk. The rookie from N.C. State was 6 of 7 on field-goal attempts, including a 59-yarder. He also made a 46-yard attempt as time expired in a 16-15 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

The lone field goal he missed was a 58-yarder at the end of Sunday’s first half in New Orleans that was nearly returned for a touchdown. He made his initial attempt, only to have it nullified because a timeout had been called.

That wasn’t enough to win a roster spot at Tennessee, where Folk signed a new contract in March after making 96.7% of his kicks last season.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur acknowledged that signing a rookie kicker from another team this close to the start of the season is “uncharted territory” for him. He said Green Bay’s uncertain kicking situation could impact his strategy early in the season, such as when he decides whether to attempt a field goal or go for the first down in particular fourth down situations.

“I think you’ve got to take into account all the circumstances,” LaFleur said. “No different, though, like when you go out and there’s inclement weather. Sometimes that affects some of the decision making you make. We’ll see. At least we’ll get a couple days with him to kind of get a feel for him as he performs. What’s hard is you just don’t have any game experience with him. But he did a nice job in Tennessee, I know that.”

Narveson had made 78% of his field-goal attempts (71 of 91) during his college career at Iowa State (2019), Western Kentucky (2020-22) and N.C. State (2023). Last season, he went 18 of 23 at NC State and set a school record with his 57-yarder at Duke.

“Certainly he had a great preseason where he hit a 59-yarder and then a game-winner at the end to handle that kind of pressure,” Gutekunst said. “You’re constantly monitoring that stuff, but until you get him in Lambeau Field and everything that that brings, not sure you ever know. I’m probably not as patient with specialists as I should be. I’m really not.”

Carlson went 27 of 33 on field-goal attempts — including just 7 of 13 from at least 40 yards — and 34 of 39 on extra points last season. He missed a 41-yard field goal as the Packers were trying to protect a fourth-quarter lead in an NFC divisional playoff game they eventually lost 24-21 at San Francisco.

He went 3 of 4 on field goals in the preseason and sent a 32-yard attempt wide right in the fourth quarter of a 30-7 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

“Kickers in this league, you know, some of them come out right away and they can handle it,” Gutekunst said. “And sometimes they’ve got to bounce around a few times before they land. I think Anders is probably gonna be one of those guys. He’s got a ton of talent.”

The addition of Narveson means this will be the 20th consecutive year that a rookie undrafted free agent has made the Packers’ season-opening roster, though the fact he started out with Tennessee adds a wrinkle to the streak. This is the first time during that 20-year stretch that the Packers have opened a year without a rookie undrafted free agent they hadn’t signed directly out of college.

NOTES: The Packers signed QB Sean Clifford to their practice squad one day after cutting him. Clifford was released after the Packers acquired QB Malik Willis from Tennessee for a 2025 seventh-round pick. ... The Packers also signed DL Deslin Alexandre, DL James Ester, K Alex Hale, WR Julian Hicks, OL Donovan Jennings, CB Kalen King, RB Nate McCrary, RB Ellis Merriweather, CB Robert Rochell, OL Lecitus Smith and TE Messiah Swinson to their practice squad. Hale is part of the NFL's International Player Pathway program. ... Three players the Packers cut Tuesday were claimed by other organizations: WR Grant DuBose (Miami), S Anthony Johnson Jr. (New York Giants) and G Royce Newman (Tampa Bay).

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Steve Megargee, The Associated Press