It's been a long run for Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby, but it could all be over, per his wife Molly.
Mason Crosby is 39 years old. He's been in Green Bay for over a decade, but as his leg weakens, it hurts the team as well. Still, Brian Gutekunst's comments at the NFL Combine seemed to suggest he'd be back for another year:
"We'll never close the door, we'll kind of see where that goes," Gutekunst said. "He had a good year this past year. Again, we're limited a little bit financially. But we'd never say never."
That sounds promising.
However, Crosby frequently struggled on kickoffs last season, which gave opponents great field position to start drives. That hurts not only Green Bay's special teams, but their defense as well. Is it the end of an era for the Packers?
Packers: Mason Crosby's Green Bay career may be over
When Simone Biles announced the signing of her husband, Jonathan Owens, by the Packers, Crosby's wife commented on her husband's future. It didn't sound promising.
The tweet has since been deleted, but not before Green Bay fans caught on:
Zone Coverage laid out the argument against bringing Crosby back in April, and it's not pretty:
"Crosby was dead last in the league in touchback percentage last season, and his 60.7 average kickoff yards are the second-lowest of his career. Whether injury or age, the drop-off was steep in 2022. This one passes the eye test. His 15 touchbacks were 25 fewer than the prior five seasons when he kicked over 40. Let that sink in. That's like hitting with a nine-iron instead of a Big Bertha driver."
Add in that he's unlikely to make most of his field goals over 50 yards, and it's limiting for an offense that no longer features Aaron Rodgers. Jordan Love is sure to have his hiccups, and the Packers need a kicker who can ensure any successful drive the offense puts together will end in points.
Crosby isn't that, which is likely why he's on the outs.
