Packers capitalize on NFC North rival's mistake

On Thursday, the Packers capitalized on a Detroit Lions' possible mistake, claiming rookie kicker James Turner off waivers. The former Michigan kicker had been waived by the Lions after the team signed Jake Bates, a UFL star whom Green Bay was also interested in.

After the Lions' decision to waive Turner on Tuesday, Mike Payton, who covers the Lions for A to Z Sports, wrote about the mistake:

^{"The Lions released undrafted rookie kicker James Turner. Normally the release of an undrafted rookie wouldn't be such a confusing thing. The problem is that before the Bates signing, there was very real belief that Turner could get the Lions starting job over Michael Badgley.}

^{All that we had heard coming out of OTAs and minicamp was that Turner had a big leg and that he wasn't missing while Michael Badgley was missing a lot. It's fair to note that the media didn't get to see every kick that was made during this time frame, but every Turner kick they did see went in and some went in from distance. Lions special teams coordinator Dave Fipp even raved about his leg."}

James Turner, a 23-year-old kicker, spent four seasons at Louisville before transferring to Michigan in 2023. As a senior, he made the Second-Team All-Big Ten and won the National Championship last season.

Undrafted, he had signed with the Lions right after the draft.

Competition alive

With that move, the Packers keep a three-headed competition at kicker for training camp. Beyond James Turner, Green Bay also has second-year player Anders Carlson, a sixth-round pick from last year's draft, and veteran Greg Joseph, whom the Packers signed in free agency after he spent a couple of years with the Minnesota Vikings.

When the Packers decided to release Jack Podnesly, we had already mentioned James Turner as a possibility — the other one was Andre Szmyt, from the UFL's St. Louis Battlehawks, who's still available.