Player who struggled badly with the Packers and Titans finds a new opportunity, but it won't come in the NFL this time

After a tough rookie season in the NFL in 2024, kicker Brayden Narveson has a job in football once again, but it won't be in the NFL. The special teamer signed with the Edmonton Elks of the CFL. As a corresponding move, the Canadian team released Campbell Fair.

Undrafted in 2024, Narveson signed with the Tennessee Titans and had a decent training camp performance, but lost a battle with veteran Nick Folk. After being waived at the final roster cuts, Narveson was claimed off waivers by the Green Bay Packers, who decided to part ways with both Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph.

Narveson played six games for the Packers last season, but missed five of 17 field goals. He converted all of his 16 extra points, but that wasn't enough to preclude the team from signing veteran Brandon McManus, who was much better down the stretch in Green Bay.

Narveson returned to the Titans' practice squad and eventually played a game, missing another field goal. He was waived again in December.

This year, the kicker didn't find an NFL spot. And after months of waiting, he decided to accept a new shot in the CFL.

The 25-year-old attended North Carolina State (2023), Western Kentucky (2020-2022), and Iowa State (2018-2019), completing 78% of his field goal attempts (71 of 91) and all 196 extra point attempts over his college career. Narveson was named Second Team All-Conference USA in both 2020 and 2021.

Even though the Canadian version of football has significant differences to the NFL game, at this point it would be hard for Narveson to get a job in the UFL. And the kicking part of game is fairly similar, so the young player gets a real opportunity to have more tape trying a return to the big league.

New reality

The Packers found a solution in Brandon McManus, who converted 20 of 21 field goals in 11 games for the Packers last season, even though he missed an important field goal in the playoffs against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the offseason, the veteran signed a three-year extension to stay in Green Bay.

Meanwhile, the Titans allowed Nick Folk to walk in free agency. Back in March, the team signed veteran Joey Slye, who has played regular season games for the Carolina Panthers, Houston Texans, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Commanders, and New England Patriots.