Packers reuniting with beloved longtimer not looking likely

Fans already know Aaron Rodgers is as good as gone, but another longtime locker room presence is likely not coming back, either.

It’s going to be a new-look team in Green Bay starting in 2023. That much was known the moment Aaron Rodgers declared he intends to play for the New York Jets in the forthcoming season.

Though that trade has yet to go through officially, there is a widespread expectation that the Packers will get a deal done with New York (though an artificial deadline is looming large) and hand the keys off to Jordan Love under center. While that’s the most drastic change hitting the Green and Yellow, there will be other longtime players departing that will give the team a completely different feel moving forward.

One of those is kicker Mason Crosby, who had been with the team since 2007.

Packers are leaning toward moving on without Mason Crosby

Crosby won a competition against Domink Eberle in training camp last year to make the team. Crosby made 25 of 29 field goals last season. Three of his four misses were from 50-plus yards and he made all but two extra points. He finished the year with an over 85% success rate after a disappointing 2021 (73.5%).

But team general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted the salary cap is going to be tough to manage while including Crosby in the future plans.

“We would never close the door. We’ll see where that goes,” Gutekunst said. “He had a good year this past year. We’re limited a little bit financially, but would never say never,” he said per PackersWire.

So, it’s possible, but the likelihood looks bleak.

Crosby’s 1,918 points are good for 11th in the NFL’s history in points scored, active or retired.

While fans might assume that he’d be Packers or nowhere, Crosby indicated that he has no intention of retiring. If the Packers don’t sign him, expect him to find a home elsewhere.