The Green Bay Packers are parting ways with veteran kicker Mason Crosby and are counting on rookie Anders Carlson as his successor, but he has been shaky in preparation. A questionable decision that could end badly for the franchise. Comment.

After the end of the era of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, a new era begins for the Green Bay Packers under successor Jordan Love.

The 24-year-old has received a lot of praise from all sides so far, giving fans hope that the franchise is not in danger of falling into a hole and that a solid transition can be initiated on offence.

At another key position, however, the franchise has opened up a construction site for itself that is proving to be a major problem just before the start of the season.

After 16 seasons for the Packers, the franchise made the decision in the offseason not to sign kicker Mason Crosby to a new contract, instead relying solely on this year’s sixth-round pick Anders Carlson.

The rookie’s performances in preparation, however, are causing some serious bellyaching.

Rookie kicker Carlson disappoints at training camp

Three weeks into training camp, Carlson had hit just 47 of 66 kicks for a meager 71.2 percent success rate, according to “Forbes.” The 25-year-old also missed two extra points in the success in the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

“I don’t want to go into it too much,” head coach Matt LaFleur tried to downplay Carlson’s poor performance after the game. “It’s just one game, but as long as you learn from it, improve and make the necessary adjustments, you often come out stronger.”

Then, in the 17:21 of the second preseason game against the New England Patriots, the rookie kicker, who is said to have a “cannon of a foot,” at least converted all of his attempts with a field goal and two extra points.

One good game, however, does not wipe away the problems and leaves serious doubts about the player’s suitability for the best football league in the world.

Looking at Carlson’s stats from college, however, his performance shouldn’t really surprise anyone, as in five seasons for Auburn, the kicker has converted just 79 of 110 field goal attempts (71.8 percent).

By comparison, Crosby has a field-goal percentage of 81.4 percent in his entire NFL career.

Packers with dangerous play at kicker position

With the rookie’s shaky start, the Packers’ decision to let Crosby leave seems less and less understandable. Why there hasn’t been a response already is a mystery.

With about $13.5 million in cap space currently, the Packers actually have the option of signing their franchise legend or another veteran backup.

But why teams like the Packers even get involved in such kicker experiments is beyond comprehension. This was also the case with the Dallas Cowboys, who were met with boos during the preparation phase.

How essential an experienced kicker is for a successful season is often taken too lightly in the NFL these days.

The Chicago Bears, for example, are still struggling with the decision to let Robbie Gould, who is still popular with the fans, go in 2016. For years, the franchise struggled mightily in its search for a veteran successor.

More than the words Cody Parkey and Double Doink don’t really need to be said as a warning.