Kicker Anders Carlson signs with the Packers' NFC rival

Former Green Bay Packers draft-pick kicker Anders Carlson signed with the San Francisco 49ers' practice squad on Tuesday as they continue to battle injuries at the position. First, starter Jake Moody — who was drafted in the same class as Carlson — suffered an upper ankle sprain on a kickoff tackle attempt in Week 5.

From there, the team signed Matthew Wright from the street as their kicker for Week 6. Wright was also injured during a kickoff tackle attempt when he hit his shoulder. That's how San Francisco came to Carlson.

Like Greg Joseph, Carlson competed for a roster spot in Green Bay all summer. Ultimately, Joseph beat out Carlson for that spot on the 53-man roster, but Joseph was released after just one day on the post-cutdown roster when the Packers traded for Brayden Narveson, whom they claimed off waivers via the Tennessee Titans.

This year, Joseph is 8 of 11 (72 percent) on field goals, although he is just 3 of 6 on field goals of 40 yards or more after missing two goals against the Cincinnati Bengals Football on Sunday evenings. Narveson is 12 of 17 (71 percent) and has made just 8 of 13 shots of at least 30 yards this season.

Perhaps of all these kickers with ties to the Packers, Carlson can look the best in 2024. Considering the 49ers have a significant investment tied to Moody, as he signed with the team for a $857,512 signing bonus after being taken in the third round of the 2023 draft, it is highly unlikely that Carlson will be more than just an injured replacement at this position. Whenever Moody is ready to play again, he will be San Francisco's kicker.