GREEN BAY, Wisconsin, May 8, 2026, 12:05 (CDT)
Veteran kicker Brandon McManus is out in Green Bay, with the Packers cutting him Friday after picking up Florida’s Trey Smack in the draft. That’s a swift overhaul at kicker after last season’s late struggles. McManus showed up on Green Bay’s roster cuts, per NFL.com, which pointed to ESPN as the source.
The clock is notable here: Green Bay spent a sixth-round selection on Smack just under two weeks back, not something you see every day for a kicker. That’s a pretty obvious pivot from last year’s approach. WBAY pointed out that Smack was the draft’s lone kicker.
Money factored in, too. NBC Sports pointed out Green Bay handed McManus a $1 million roster bonus back in March — the payout triggered by his presence on the roster at a specific date. The outlet also highlighted McManus went 24-for-30 on field goals in 2025, but then missed two field goals and an extra point — that’s the PAT after a touchdown — during the Packers’ playoff defeat to Chicago.
General manager Brian Gutekunst flagged the issue right after the draft. The Packers needed to “increase that competition” and pick up a kicker who could “go win us games,” as he put it. Gutekunst did note McManus had looked solid for Green Bay—except, he admitted, “that last game.” Packers
Just last year, McManus—set to hit 35 in July—seemed to solve the problem. When the Packers brought him back in March 2025, they pointed to his 2024 stat line: 20-for-21 on field goals, perfect on 30 extra points. That field-goal percentage put him second leaguewide.
That agreement barely had time to settle. Reuters said Green Bay re-signed McManus to a three-year, $15.3 million contract—the average annual value matching Buffalo’s Tyler Bass for 10th among NFL kickers.
Smack steps into the spotlight. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein, via Sports Illustrated, called out his “strong leg” and “consistent placement.” Multiple draft boards slotted him as the top kicker in the class. SI
CBS Sports points to Smack and Lucas Havrisik as the two kickers on Green Bay’s roster right now. With Havrisik in the mix, the Packers have another option, but after drafting Smack in the sixth round, all eyes shift his way.
The risk jumps out: Smack hasn’t logged a single regular-season kick in the NFL, while Havrisik’s time with the Packers is barely a blip. Earlier this week, Packers.com put it bluntly—“nothing is certain”—and called it the most heated kicking contest Green Bay’s seen since Mason Crosby squared off with Dave Rayner back in 2007. Packers
McManus heads into veteran free agency ahead of training camp. According to CBS Sports, his experience and age keep him in the mix for teams looking to add a kicker to the roster, despite Green Bay passing on a summer competition.
