He played college football at Auburn, where he became the SEC's all-time leading scorer and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft.

[4] Under head coach Gus Malzahn, Carlson never missed an extra point in his collegiate career with the Auburn Tigers.

[5] He was the all-time leading scorer in Southeastern Conference (SEC) football history with 480 career points until passed by Will Reichard of Alabama in 2023.

[12] In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he missed a field goal in regulation and two in overtime, resulting in a 29–29 tie.

[14] Carlson was signed by the Oakland Raiders on October 23, 2018, after the team released fellow rookie kicker Matt McCrane.

[26] Carlson's Thanksgiving Day performance earned him another AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor, a feat only two other kickers had achieved at that point in the season.

On December 9, 2021, Carlson signed a four-year, $18.4 million extension with the Raiders, making him the third highest-paid kicker in the NFL.

[31] In the regular season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, Carlson made five field goals, including a game-winning 47-yard attempt as time expired in overtime.