HEADLINES

Greg Joseph

49ers Add K Greg Joseph

May 16th, 2025 at 8:19pm CST by Ely Allen

The 49ers grabbed quite a few headlines when they used a third-round pick on Michigan kicker Jake Moody two years ago. Through two seasons, Moody has not exactly inspired confidence in his long-term prospects at the position. According to NFL agent Brett Tessler, San Francisco has signed his client, Greg Joseph, as some offseason competition for Moody on a one-year deal.

Joseph has been in the NFL since 2018, playing for six teams in that time, including three in just the last year. Counting teams he rostered with but failed to play for, the 49ers will be his 12th team overall and his sixth since August 2024. His longest stay in one place came during a three-year stretch with the Vikings. from 2021-23.

Perhaps the reason why he’s struggled to stick anywhere, Joseph has often struggle with accuracy and consistency. While he made all 11 of his extra point attempts last season, he’s missed 16 in his career. He’s also only missed one field goal attempt inside of 40 yards, but outside of that, Joseph is a disappointing 44 of 68 (64.7%) — 27 of 38 (71.1%) from 40-49 yards and 17 of 30 (56.7%) from 50+.

The thing is, Moody hasn’t been too much better. The third-year kicker is much more reliable on extra points (90 of 92 in his career), but the 2024 season saw him struggle mightily from distance. Like Joseph, Moody only has one miss (out of 30 attempts) from inside the 40-yard line. As a rookie, Moody only had three misses from longer than that — two from 40-49 and one from 50+. In his sophomore campaign, though, Moody missed half of his 20 attempts from 40 yards or over — five from 40-49 and five from 50+. A high ankle sprain suffered in Week 5 of the season is thought to have made an impact on his sophomore slump.

Regardless, 49ers new special teams coordinator Brant Boyer has been encouraged by his small bit of offseason time spent with Moody. Per Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports, Boyer validated that he, too, had Moody as the No. 1 kicker in the 2023 draft class, saying, “He’s as talented of a kid as it gets.” He also feels the addition of long snapper Jon Weeks, who is set to replace Taybor Pepper at the position, will potentially help Moody, as well.

Moody was the highest kicker drafted since Roberto Aguayo went in the second round in 2016 and was only the fifth kicker since 2000 to be drafted in the third round or sooner. Investing that kind of draft capital in a specialist comes with an expectation of elite play, and Moody has failed to deliver on those expectations so far. San Francisco hasn’t given up on him yet, but it appears they’ll bring in some competition, at the very least, to motivate their struggling 25-year-old.

They already brought in undrafted kicker Kenneth Almendares, who capped off a seven-year collegiate career at Louisiana by winning the 2024 Lou Groza Award, given to the best kicker in the NCAA, for a rookie minicamp tryout, but apparently, no deal was reached. Now Joseph will have his turn to push Moody to retain his job.

Jets Promote Greg Joseph; K Will Play In Week 18

December 31st, 2024 at 12:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Greg Joseph signed with the Jets last week, giving the team another kicking option for late in the year. The veteran will indeed receive a look for the season finale.

Joseph was promoted to New York’s active roster on Tuesday, per an announcement from his agent. He will handle kicking duties in Week 18, making him the fifth different kicker the Jets have used in 2024. After Greg Zuerlein was moved to injured reserve, auditions were conducted by Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader; both only received one game on the job, though.

New York has relied on Anders Carlson for the past six games (although in Sunday’s loss, he did not attempt any extra points or field goals). During his time with the Jets, the 2023 sixth-rounder has connected on eight of 10 field goal tries and nine of 11 extra point attempts. Carlson remains in the organization at this point, but Joseph will get the opportunity to compete for a spot next year.

The latter has been in the NFL since 2018, spending time with the Browns, Titans, Vikings, Giants and Commanders. Joseph’s three-year run in Minnesota included two with a field goal accuracy rate at or above 80%, but the team moved on this offseason and has enjoyed a relatively strong year with rookie Will Reichard. Joseph made six appearances in place of an injured Graham Gano this year with the Giants in addition to a single game with Washington; he has gone 15-for-19 on field goals and eight-for-eight on extra points in 2024.

Zuerlein is under contract for next season, but none of his salary for 2025 is guaranteed. The Jets could look for a replacement in the wake of his struggles prior to his injury, and Joseph will get the chance to earn a look in the offseason based on his Week 18 performance.

Jets Sign Veteran K Greg Joseph

December 24th, 2024 at 10:30am CST by Ely Allen

It looks like the Jets are bringing in some competition for struggling backup kicker Anders Carlson. NFL agent Brett Tessler disclosed that his client, veteran kicker Greg Joseph, has signed a practice squad contract bringing him back to New York, but this time, for the other team that plays in MetLife.

The move is necessary after the team’s regular kicker Greg Zuerlein was placed on injured reserve back at the end of October. The immediate replacement answer at the time was Riley Patterson and Spencer Shrader, but both kickers only got one-week tryouts with the team before moving on.

The last five games have belonged to Carlson. After an initial strong opening in New York, in which he made both field goal attempts, one from beyond 50 yards, and all three extra point attempts, Carlson stumbled in his second contest with the Jets when he missed one of two extra point attempts, his only two kicks of the day. He rebounded strongly the next week, scoring 14 points off four field goals and two extra points, but has struggled since, missing two field goal attempts and one extra point in the last two weeks.

Joesph’s got a pretty average history in the NFL as a kicker, making just 82.1 percent of his field goal attempts and 90.6 of his extra point attempts in his seven-year career. Most of the extra point misses came early in his career. In 2018 and from 2021-22, Joseph 14 of 115 extra point attempts. Since then, he’s gone 52-for-54. He kicked for the Vikings for the last three seasons and has spent time with the Giants and Commanders this season.

Amidst Carlson’s struggles, Joseph’s addition to the practice squad should provide a bit of competition at practice. Either Joseph’s presence will spur Carlson on to better deliverables, or Joseph will outperform the incumbent backup and take over as the main placekicker to close out the season.

Commanders Activate Jamison Crowder, Elevate Greg Joseph

December 14th, 2024 at 9:19pm CST by Adam La Rose

Jamison Crowder returned to practice this week, signaling that he could be an option for the Commanders in Week 15. The veteran receiver/returner has indeed been activated from injured reserve, per a team announcement.

[RELATED: IR Return Tracker]

A calf injury suffered in Week 3 has kept Crowder out of the fold until this point. He is now healthy, though, and as a result he could take on a returner role for the closing stages of the season. Of course, playing time on offense could also be possible in Crowder’s case.

Noah Brown has been moved to injured reserve, which comes as no surprise. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said on Wednesday Brown is likely to miss the remainder of the campaign, and an IR stint ensures at least a four-week absence. Brown will therefore not be available until at least the wild-card round of the postseason should Washington (8-5) qualify. Crowder has made only 17 catches since joining the Commanders last year, so expectations in that regard will be limited upon return.

In other roster news, Washington has elevated Greg Joseph from the practice squad. The veteran kicker was added to the team’s taxi squad yesterday, and he will provide insurance at the position. Zane Gonzalez practiced on a limited basis Wednesday, but over the past two sessions he has been listed as a full participant. It would therefore come as a surprise if Gonzalez was forced to miss tomorrow’s game, but if that proves to be the case Joseph will be available to take his place.

The Commanders sit only 18th in the NFL in passing yards per game (221) despite rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels‘ strong campaign. Losing Brown could deal a blow to the team’s offense given his status as the top complementary WR option to Terry McLaurin, but if Washington is to reach the playoffs he will not be part of the equation the rest of the way.

Commanders Sign K Greg Joseph

December 13th, 2024 at 11:34am CST by Adam La Rose

The Commanders are adding another kicking option ahead of Week 15. Greg Joseph has been signed to Washington’s practice squad, his agent confirmed on Friday.

Joseph bounced around the NFC North earlier this season before joining the Giants in September. He took the place of the injured Graham Gano, handling kicking duties for six games. Joseph connected on 13 of 16 field goal attempts and all six of his extra point kicks during that span. He landed on injured reserve in November, however, a move which was preceded by a release via injury settlement.

A one-month free agent spell ensued, but Joseph has now landed another deal. He will be an option to be designated as a gameday elevation for the Commanders in Week 15, but the team does have Zane Gonzalez in the picture as well. The latter has kicked for Washington over the past three weeks, going 10-for-1o on extra points but missing a pair of field goal attempts during the team’s last game. Head coach Dan Quinn expressed confidence in Gonzalez during the week, but an experienced replacement option is now in place.

Austin Seibert took over as the Commanders’ kicker in Week 2, a move which seemed to being an end to the carousel at the position which was in place throughout the offseason. After missing time midway through the campaign, however, a groin injury led to a stint on injured reserve. Seibert will be unavailable until at least the regular season finale as a result, so Gonzalez will look to rebound from his latest outing in a bid to remain in place for the time being.

Joseph is a veteran of 73 games, most of which came during his three-year run with the Vikings. The 30-year-old has a career accuracy rate of 82.5%, and this Commanders deal could represent his latest opportunity to increase that figure if he manages to see playing time down the stretch.

Minor NFL Transactions: 11/7/24

November 7th, 2024 at 5:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Thursday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals

Chicago Bears

Detroit Lions

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Logue will lose his roster spot after the Bills signed both Quinton Jefferson and Jordan Phillips on Wednesday. Both vets landed on Buffalo’s active roster. A sixth-round Falcons draftee this year, Logue had caught on with the Bills last month; Buffalo signed the rookie off Atlanta’s practice squad. Logue played 36 defensive snaps with the Bills.

Joseph, who has been with four teams since 2024 began, will head back into free agency. The length of his injury settlement will determine how quickly he can join a team. The three-year Vikings kicker signed with the Packers in free agency and landed with the Lions’ practice squad shortly after not making Green Bay’s 53-man roster. The Giants had signed Joseph off the Detroit taxi squad after Graham Gano‘s injury. Gano is in the IR-return window now, and New York used former Irish Gaelic footballer Jude McAtamney against Washington last week. McAtamney is back on the Giants’ practice squad.

Giants Place K Greg Joseph On IR, Elevate Irish Gaelic Footballer

November 2nd, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Ely Allen

The Giants were forced to scramble early in the season when kicker Graham Gano went down with a groin injury in Week 2. Now, as Gano’s replacement Greg Joseph deals with an abdominal injury, New York will get creative once again. Per ESPN’s Jordan Raanan, Joseph’s injury will land him on injured reserve, and the team will utilize a standard gameday practice squad elevation on kicker Jude McAtamney to replace him this weekend.

In the aftermath of the Gano injury, Joseph was signed off of the Lions’ practice squad. The Giants had auditioned a number of free agent kickers but opted instead for Joseph, who was waiting in the wings behind UFL star Jake Bates. Joseph has been admirable in replacement duty, converting 13 of his 16 field goal attempts, with all three misses coming from beyond 40 yards. He also assisted an uninspiring offense, converting all six of the extra points he was asked to kick.

New York had ruled out Joseph for tomorrow’s game with the injury to his abdomen already, but placing him on IR means that he’ll miss at least three additional contests. The Giants are not going external once again to fill their newly vacant kicker position, instead choosing to elevate the practice squad kicker McAtamney. He seemingly was not prepared to step up in Week 3, but the Giants will trust him to debut in the NFL tomorrow.

McAtamney is a former Gaelic football player from North Ireland. After gaining an interest in American football, McAtamney trained with ProKick Australia and moved to America to play at Chowan University and Rutgers. He made 12 of 18 field goal attempts for the Scarlet Knights with a long of 49 yards and converted 23 of 24 extra points. As a native Irishman, McAtamney qualified for the NFL’s international roster exemption, allowing him to be on the Giants’ practice squad without counting towards the 16-man limit.

Joining McAtamney from the practice squad tomorrow will be outside linebacker Tomon Fox, who is not being elevated but signed to the active roster to fill the roster spot vacated by Joseph. Filling Fox’s spot on the practice squad is versatile fullback/tight end Jakob Johnson, who rejoins the team after being released on Wednesday.

Giants Work Out Four Kickers, To Add Greg Joseph Off Lions’ Practice Squad

September 17th, 2024 at 2:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

Graham Gano‘s injury changed the Giants’ gameday procedure, costing them dearly in a narrow loss to the Commanders. After not attempting any extra points once Gano went down, the Giants will make their expected addition.

With Gano set to miss at least four games, New York worked out four kickers. The team, however, will take another course. The Giants are signing Greg Joseph off the Lions’ practice squad, per his agency. The team must keep Joseph on its 53-man roster for at least three weeks due to poaching him off another team’s P-squad. Gano is now on IR, per a Giants announcement.

The Giants initially attempted a free agency path here, with NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo indicating the team worked out Zane Gonzalez, Randy Bullock, Riley Patterson and Tanner Brown. Instead, it will be Joseph, who will head to team No. 3 this year. Joseph signed with the Packers early this offseason but did not make their 53-man roster, joining the Lions’ practice squad as Jake Bates insurance. But an immediate opportunity will come his way in New York.

Joseph, 30, spent the past three seasons as the Vikings’ kicker. He drilled a 61-yard game-winning field goal to beat the Giants in Week 16 of the 2022 season. Like Gano, who made a 63-yarder to beat the Giants as a Panther in 2018, Joseph will make his way to the NFC’s New York franchise.

Joseph made 86.8% of his field goals in 2021 but did not clear the 80% barrier in either of the past two seasons. He made 80% of his tries last season, missing three from between 40 and 49 yards, and saw the Vikings take a different route this year.

As for Gano, this is the second time he has landed on IR in as many seasons. Gano has suffered two injuries since the Giants gave him a three-year, $16.5MM extension ($11.34MM guaranteed) in September 2023. Gano, 37, missed nine games last season. The Giants will hope to have their regular specialist back from his hamstring injury this season, but they will need to use an IR activation to make that happen.

Bullock served as the Giants’ Gano replacement in six games last season, while Patterson could not secure a spot as the Commanders’ kicker in the preseason. (Gonzalez has not kicked since the 2021 season.) The Commanders, who settled on Austin Seibert as their latest kicker, became the first NFL team to win a game despite scoring zero touchdowns to their opponent’s three.

Lions Sign K Greg Joseph To P-Squad

September 10th, 2024 at 7:50pm CST by Ely Allen

The Lions have had their fair share of headlines concerning their kicking game already this year. First, incumbent kicker Michael Badgley was placed on injured reserve with a season-ending hamstring injury. To replace him, Detroit enlisted UFL-star Jake Bates, whose big leg gained him notoriety throughout the offseason.

Well, today, the Lions signed veteran kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad, per Joseph’s agent Brett Tessler. The South Africa native has been in the league for the last five years, spending the last three of those in Minnesota as the Vikings’ primary kicker. As a free agent in the offseason, Joseph signed with the Packers but didn’t make the team’s 53-man roster as a result of an expansive kicking competition. Now, he joins his third-consecutive NFC North club.

The Lions had decided on Bates as their main leg after a kicker competition of their own. Throughout training camp, Bates showed an inconsistency that seemed troublesome at the time, but when it came gametime in the preseason and Week 1, Bates got back to the performances that earned him his NFL opportunity.

Still, last year, we saw Detroit actively recruit Badgley and eventually utilize him to replace Riley Patterson midseason. While Bates has a secure hold on the job for now, there’s nothing in Detroit’s recent history to suggest that they won’t continue to make Bates earn his job throughout the season. He’ll likely have to hold Joseph at bay with his own performance all season.

Load More Posts