[tps_title]4. Mason Crosby[/tps_title]
In the summer 2011, the Packers signed Mason Crosby to a five-year, $14.75 million deal. Crosby was coming off a season where he made a pretty average 78.6 percent of his kicks.
He rewarded the Packers with a then career-best 85.7 field goal percentage in 2011. Then he completely tanked in 2012, finishing with an NFL-worst 63.6 field goal percentage.
Prior to last season, the Packers essentially admitted their mistake by forcing Crosby to renegotiate his deal. The new deal lowered Crosby’s 2013 base salary from $2.4 million to $800,000.
That lit a fire under his ass and he connected on 89.2 percent of his kicks in 2013.
In 2014, Crosby will receive $2.65 million in base salary. His cap hit will be $3.4 million. Those numbers aren’t huge by NFL standards, but they’re substantial for a kicker. Crosby is the fifth highest-paid kicker in the NFL.
Deservedly so? Not in our estimation.