Longtime Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby has been one of the most reliable players in the NFL over his 15-year career, starting every regular season game for the organization since his NFL debut in 2007.
Crosby has not appeared for the Packers thus far in the preseason while recovering from offseason knee surgery, and Green Bay head coach Matt LeFleur announced Monday that his status for Week 1 could be in jeopardy.
According to Packers beat writer Matt Schneidman, LeFleur has announced that Crosby will not be activated from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list on Monday. The deadline for the team to do so is on Tuesday, so unless LeFleur changes his mind by tomorrow, Crosby will be forced to miss at least the Packers’ first four games of the regular season.
The team could have their first starting kicker other than Crosby since 2007 for the first four weeks, which could be significant to the team’s chances of success in the early part of the season.
If Crosby were to miss time for Green Bay, it appears they’ll turn to former USFL kicker Ramiz Ahmed, who spent the past USFL season with the Pittsburgh Maulers. Ahmed played in the team’s final preseason game on Thursday against the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was able to make his only field goal attempt along with an extra point.
The absence of a proven commodity like Crosby could be disastrous for the Packers, but we should know on Tuesday whether or not he will be activated from the PUP list.
