Mason Crosby didn't retire and now he's getting a workout with the Los Angeles Rams
Mason Crosby has been staying ready for this moment.
The longtime Green Bay Packers kicker has been kicking from high school football fields and even from boats over the last few months for another opportunity in the NFL.
Crosby now has the chance to show he still has what it takes to be an NFL kicker. Crosby is one of several kickers getting a workout with the Rams today, according to Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. The Rams released veteran kicker Brett Maher on Tuesday after he missed three kicks — two field goals and one extra point — in the team's 24-17 loss on Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Will Crosby's career continue with the Rams after spending his entire career with the Packers? Here's what we know.
Will Mason Crosby make the Rams roster?
It's not a guarantee even if coaches like what they see from Crosby.
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network said if the Rams sign Crosby it would likely be to the practice squad.
That's because after the Rams cut Maher, they quickly signed 24-year-old Lucas Havrisik from the Cleveland Browns' practice squad.
So Havrisik is the Rams' new kicker for the time being since the Rams wouldn't hold two kickers on their active roster. But the Rams are clearly keeping their options open and not fully committing to Havrisik, who is guaranteed three active-roster game checks.
Havrisik, who was 34 for 53 on field goals (64%) in college at Arizona from 2017-2021, has yet to appear in an NFL game after going undrafted in 2022.
Crosby made 81.4% of his kicks with the Packers and had a bounce-back season in 2022 by making 86.2% of his field goals, with three of his four misses coming from beyond 50 yards.
Mason Crosby's age
Crosby turned 39 years old in September. The two oldest kickers in the NFL (Nick Folk and Matt Prater) are also 39 years old.
How long was Mason Crosby with the Packers?
Crosby spent his entire 16-year career with the Packers. He was selected in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL draft and started immediately. As a 23-year-old rookie in Week 1 of the 2007 season, he made a game-winning field goal, a 42-yard kick with 2 seconds left on the clock to give Green Bay the 16-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
It was a sign of things to come for Crosby, who went on to have 12 game-winning kicks in his career.
His longevity was remarkable and withstood the ups and downs of an NFL kicker. Crosby is at the top of nearly every Packers kicking list, including No. 1 in points (1,918), field goals (395) and extra points (733). Ryan Longwell is a distant second in each of those categories.
No player has kicked in more seasons for the Packers than Crosby.
Mason Crosby didn't retire, but he's no longer a Green Bay Packer
Crosby has said since the end of last season that he had no plans on retiring.
However, the Packers did not sign Crosby to a new deal in the offseason and went in a new direction at kicker when Green Bay selected Anders Carlson in the sixth round of the 2023 draft.
“I still want to keep playing,” Crosby said in a post-game news conference after the Packers lost to the Detroit Lions in the 2022 regular-season finale in January. “I don’t have any plans on tying them up. So my plan is to just kind of keep pushing, and kind of look at how I want to work through the offseason to try to give it another go.”
No team gave Crosby another look until the Rams.
Mason Crosby won a Super Bowl with the Packers and had many more memorable moments
Crosby was a member of the Packers' team that won the franchise's fourth Super Bowl after the 2010 season. He made Green Bay's final points in the 31-25 win, a 23-yard field goal to finish a 10-play, 75-yard drive, in the fourth quarter. Crosby was also 4 for 4 on extra points in the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium.
Six years later, the Packers returned to Dallas for an NFC divisional playoff game against the Cowboys and Crosby had arguably the most noteworthy kick of his NFL career. His 51-yard field goal as time expired gave the Packers the 34-31 win and sent them to the NFC championship game. Crosby also had a 56-yard field goal earlier in the quarter to put the Packers up briefly, 31-28.
Could Mason Crosby play the Packers if he makes the Rams?
Yes, and very soon.
The Packers and Rams play on Nov. 5 at Lambeau Field.
Grab your popcorn for that one if Crosby finds a way onto the Rams' roster before the game.