Mason Crosby made all three kicks in his first NFL game for someone other than the Packers

Mason Crosby made his return to the NFL on Christmas, appearing for someone other than the Green Bay Packers for the first time in the New York Giants' 33-25 loss to Philadelphia.

Crosby made all three of his kicks, including two extra points and a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter the pulled the Giants to within 7-3.

The Giants have been eliminated from the postseason, now at 5-10, but they nearly rallied back to stun the Eagles; a final throw into the end zone from backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor was intercepted.

Tommy DeVito, the undrafted rookie quarterback who became NFC Player of the Week after his performance against the Packers two weeks ago, was benched at halftime.

Crosby signed this week to the Giants practice squad, with the idea of immediate elevation to the gameday roster. The Giants have had a comedy of issues at the kicker position, with now three players at the position injured. Cade York, who had yet to appear in a game for the Giants this season, was the latest injury that necessitated a Giants roster move.

Crosby kicked for 16 years in Green Bay, never missing a game and racking up the most points in franchise history. He went 1-for-4 last year in field-goal attempts from 50-plus, hitting a 56-yarder, but he's a career 43-of-78 (55%) on field goals from 50-plus in his Green Bay Career. Crosby, 39, found himself without a roster spot when the Packers drafted Anders Carlson in 2023.

He briefly signed with the Los Angeles Rams before getting released in short order, making this game with the Giants his first NFL action since his time with Green Bay.

Mason Crosby wore No. 21, to the confusion of Giants fans

Crosby wore No. 2 during his tenure with the Packers, but this time he was donning No. 21, an unusual jersey for a kicker. Giants fans, particularly those who associate the number with longtime running back Tiki Barber, were surprised by the choice of digits. No. 2, by the way, is already taken by Taylor.

Barber, it should be noted, was not the last Giants player to wear No. 21; in fact, All-Pro safety Landon Collins wore the number from 2015 to 2018 and again in 2022 with New York.

Molly Crosby writes another thank you to the Packers organization

Mason Crosby's wife, Molly, was in a thankful mood on Christmas, sharing her thoughts on X/Twitter.

"Thank you to the #packers for making us a part of your organization for so long," she wrote, in part. "Thank you to #packernation for your love and support for 16 going on 17 seasons and overwhelming us today with well wishes and genuine joy as we embrace the opportunity presented. ... We loved being on your team and are elated to be cheered on by you even as we don new colors. God bless you and your family and may we all cheer on our fellow man with the same energy that we cheer on our favorite sports teams. I really can’t say thank you enough. Wisconsin, you are stuck with us forever!"

Molly Crosby has had kind things to say about Wisconsin before, even after it became clear that the Packers would be moving on.

The Packers will be pulling for Mason Crosby next week, for their own benefit

The Packers will be openly rooting for Crosby next week when the Giants face the Los Angeles Rams; a Rams loss means Green Bay can clinch a playoff spot if it goes 2-0 to close the year.

Crosby's 258 games played with the Packers also marks a franchise record. Only three other players (Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Donald Driver) have even played in 200.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Mason Crosby returns to NFL with Giants, makes 52-yarder on Christmas