Matt LaFleur on potential Packers kicking change: ‘Absolutely not’

It’s been a tough year for longtime Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby.

Crosby, who has been Mr. Consistent for the Packers over the years and given the team many great moments as their kicker, has now missed eight field goals on the season.

When asked about whether the Packers could make a change at kicker, head coach Matt LaFleur gave a pretty emphatic answer.

Well, OK then.

That’s the way to go. Either make a change or not. But if the decision is to stick with Crosby, be 100 percent on it. Had LaFleur given a less convincing answer, it wouldn’t have helped Crosby’s confidence in any way. But, here, LaFleur couldn’t be more clear: Crosby is our kicker.

It’s certainly a fair question to ask. Teams are often quick to make changes at the kicker position, and understandably so. It’s one position you need some consistency at. And when a kicker gets into a poor run of form, it can have a serious impact on the team’s chances of winning games.

Crosby missed a kick he’d normally make in his sleep on Sunday and the Packers lost by three. That’s not to say Green Bay lost because Crosby missed, but had he converted, it would’ve made the game far closer earlier on.

The same is true in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Special-teams blunders and missed field goals hurt the Packers in a big way. Had they converted, maybe the outcome would’ve been different.

It’s also a fair question to ask because Green Bay has protected kicker J.J. Molson throughout the season, ensuring other teams can’t sign him from their practice squad. That tells us a lot about their belief in Molson and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s the team’s kicker in 2022.

For now, though, LaFleur has no intention of moving on from Crosby.