It’s not often a kicker makes news in the NFL Draft, but it happened with the Green Bay Packers Saturday.
The Packers selected Auburn Tigers kicker Anders Carlson in the sixth round (No. 207 overall).
That effectively ends the reign of longtime kicker Mason Crosby in Green Bay. He is currently a free agent.
With the 207th pick in the 2023 #NFLDraft, the #Packers select Auburn K Anders Carlson!#PackersDraft | @meijer pic.twitter.com/HAoJLW4Cyz
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 29, 2023
It’s an unceremonious end for the 38-year-old Crosby, who had held the Packers’ kicking duties since 2007. He’s Green Bay’s all-time leading scorer, with 1,918 points, no small feat for a team that’s been around more than 100 years. He also played in 258 consecutive games, breaking the franchise record late in the 2022 season.
Former teammate Aaron Rodgers paid tribute to Crosby at the time.
“Not many have been there since the beginning to see all he’s accomplished, but from my vantage point, there is no one I would trust more to make a kick in any weather with the game on the line,” Rodgers said in a tribute video.
A #Packers record many thought would never be broken.
256 consecutive games. Congratulations, @crosbykicks2 🙌
Narrated by @AaronRodgers12 pic.twitter.com/eZaIQYYPL3
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) December 25, 2022
The Packers also selected Crosby in the sixth round all those years ago, bringing things full circle in a way.
Green Bay is getting a good kicker in Carlson, who is the younger brother of Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson. He hit 71.8 percent of his field goal attempts during his Auburn career.
Packers fans paid tribute to Crosby after the news.
This confirms Mason Crosby’s Packers Hall of Fame career is over with. 😢
— Jeff Ostach☮️ (@jeff_ostach) April 29, 2023
Sadly its an end of an era for Mason.
— ਸਨੀ (@SunnyB0120) April 29, 2023
Damn Mason really not coming back 🙁
— Dev (@xDevhs) April 29, 2023
Gonna miss you Mason 🙁
— Sam (@sam_berghammer) April 29, 2023
