Giants sign 17-year veteran Mason Crosby to handle kicking duties vs. Eagles
Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby (2) kicks the game winning field goal from the hold of Corey Bojorquez during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn) Credit: AP/Jed Jacobsohn
The Giants signed 17-year veteran Mason Crosby to their practice squad on Friday to handle kicking duties in Philadelphia on Monday.
Randy Bullock, who had kicked for them in most of the past six games, was placed on injured reserve earlier in the week after suffering a hamstring injury last Sunday against the Saints. Cade York, a kicker already on the Giants’ practice squad who figured to get the job on Sunday, aggravated a quadriceps injury in practice this week and was placed on injured reserve to make room for Crosby on the roster.
Crosby, 39, who played for the Packers for 16 seasons through 2022 and was briefly on the Rams’ practice squad earlier this month, had a free-agent tryout for the Giants in early November when Graham Gano initially was injured. The Giants wound up signing Bullock and York at that time. Crosby was waived by the Rams and available when these latest injuries to the position occurred for the Giants. With three games remaining, the Giants will not have to add Crosby to their active roster unless they somehow reach the postseason.
If Crosby kicks a field goal at any point this season, he will be the fourth different player to do so for the Giants (Gano, Bullock and punter Jamie Gillan, who replaced Bullock last week, are the others.) In their 99-year history, the Giants have never had more than three different players kick field goals in any given season.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
