The Green Bay Packers are signing kicker Jack Podlesny to the offseason 90-man roster, according to Bill Huber of Packer Central.
Coach Matt LaFleur said the Packers were open to competition at kicker for Anders Carlson, who missed a 41-yard field goal during the team’s NFC Divisional Round loss to the San Francisco 49ers and ended the season with misses in 10 of the final 12 games, including the postseason.
For now, the competition will be Podlesny, who went undrafted out of Georgia in 2023. He spent part of training camp with the Minnesota Vikings but was released in mid-August.
The Packers worked out Podlesny (along with Parker White) in September.
Over three seasons at Georgia, Podlesny made 60 of 73 field goals (82.2 percent) and 182 of 184 extra points (98.9). During his redshirt senior season in 2022, Podlesny missed only four kicks (26 of 29 on field goals, 73 of 74 on extra points) and led the nation in scoring. During the College Football Playoffs in 2022, he made 3-of-5 field goals and 12-of-13 extra points. He missed from 47 yards and 52 yards but his extra point gave Georgia a 42-41 win over Ohio State in the semifinal.
Podlesny, a two-time national champion at Georgia, participated at the Senior Bowl ahead of the 2023 draft.
Carlson was a sixth-round pick of the Packers in 2023. He made 27 of 33 field goals and 34 of 39 of extra points. He led the NFL in missed extra points. Overall, including the postseason, Carlson missed 13 kicks in 19 games.
Podlesny made just 54 percent of kicks (13 of 24) over 40 yards at Georgia, including a 3-for-8 finish in 2022. He made a 53-yard field goal to beat Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl as a redshirt sophomore.
