Latest practice squad move puts pressure on Raiders stalwart

In just one season under head coach Pete Carroll, Daniel Carlson has found himself under fire.

The normally reliable kicker has had a rough go of things this season, making 12-of-16 field goal attempts and 11-of-12 extra points this season. It has been part of the reason why the Las Vegas Raiders made the decision to fire special teams coordinator Tom McMahon after their most recent loss to the Denver Broncos. After Carlson missed a potential game-tying field goal in that contest, Carroll made his exasperation clear.

“The ball’s just got to go through the freaking hoop. We just got to make them,” Carroll said last week. “That’s all there is to it.”

If Carroll’s words were not enough to put Carlson under pressure, the recent actions of the Raiders certainly is.

On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that they had signed kicker Greg Joseph to their practice squad, giving the team another option in case Carlson’s struggles continue.

A veteran in the NFL, the 31-year-old Joseph has bounced around the league on active rosters and practice squads. His most notable run was a three-year stint with the Minnesota Vikings from 2021-23. In 75 games, Joseph has made 82.3 percent of his field goal attempts and 90.3 percent of his extra points.

While Joseph is not expected to unseat Carlson right away, it shows that the new regime is starting to grow concerned about their current kicker’s woes.

Carlson is a pending free agent after the season, and his play has made his long-term future in Las Vegas uncertain. While he has not been fully to blame for the Raiders’ losses this season, the inaccuracy of Carlson’s kicks has become problematic overall.

With another option now on the table, the stakes have never been higher for Carlson to prove that he is still a quality kicker at the NFL level.