Former Lions kicker James Turner claimed off waivers by Packers

When the Detroit Lions signed UFL kicker Jake Bates on Tuesday, James Turner became the odd-man out in their kicking competition and was waived in the corresponding move. Turner, according to reports from on-site at minicamp, outdone incumbent Michael Badgley. It was an iffy move to let Turner go, but it was also unlikely the Lions were going to have a two-man kicking competition between two guys who have little or no NFL experience.

On Thursday, Turner quickly found a new home. According to Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, the Green Bay Packers, 25th in the waiver claim pecking order, were awarded Turner on waivers. The Packers were one of the other teams with reported interest in Bates, so it’s not a huge surprise they’ve added another kicker after losing that pursuit.

James Turner joins three-man kicking competition elsewhere in the NFC North

The Packers had reduced their own kicking competition to two this week, waiving Jack Podlesny. Turner will now replace him on the roster, joining Anders Carlson and former Viking Greg Joseph in Green Bay’s kicking competition. Carlson missed a field goal or an extra point in 10 of the last 12 games last year as a rookie, opening up the idea he could be beaten out for the job. But like their division rivals in Detroit, how serious they are about replacing their incumbent kicker is unclear and the available options to truly threaten Carlson aren’t plentiful at this point.

Over five college seasons, four at Louisville and one at Michigan, Turner went 65-of-80 on field-goals (81.3 percent) and 189 for 192 on extra points. Last season for the national champion Wolverines he went 65-for-65 on extra points and 18-for-21 on field goals, and in 2022 at Louisville he made nearly 91 percent of his field goals.