Packers release veteran Brandon
McManus after drafting another kicker in 6th round
[May 09, 2026]
By STEVE MEGARGEE
Veteran kicker Brandon McManus was released by the Green Bay Packers
on Friday two weeks after they drafted his potential replacement.
McManus' exit leaves rookie sixth-round pick Trey Smack and Lucas
Havrisik as the two kickers on Green Bay's roster.
The Packers announced the move and McManus posted a farewell to
Green Bay on social media and thanked the organization, its fans and
his teammates.
“From the moment I arrived, you welcomed me and my family with open
arms and made us feel at home,” McManus said. "The support,
kindness, and passion you've shown mean more than words can express.
“The environment at Lambeau Field is truly incredible. There's
nothing like running out of that tunnel and seeing an entire
community united by love for this team. The energy, the pride, the
tradition — it's something special. To be part of a franchise with
such a rich history and tradition is an honor. The legacy of this
organization inspires me every single day. Thank you for trusting
me, believing in me, and giving me the chance to be part of
something so special.”
Green Bay became the only team to draft a kicker last month when it
took Smack out of Florida. The Packers traded away two seventh-round
picks to get Smack with the 216th selection.
McManus, 34, went 44 of 51 on field-goal attempts and was 6 of 8
from at least 50 yards out during the regular season in his two
years with the Packers. He missed two field goals and an extra-point
attempt in Green Bay’s 31-27 NFC wild-card playoff loss at Chicago.
He has made 82% of his field-goal attempts during a 12-year career
that also included stints with the Denver Broncos (2014-22) and
Jacksonville Jaguars (2023).
The Packers signed McManus in October 2024 to replace struggling
rookie Brayden Narveson. Now they’re potentially going to count on
another rookie to take over for McManus.
McManus’ Green Bay tenure couldn’t have started any better. He
delivered game-winning field goals as time expired in each of his
first two games with the Packers, making a 45-yarder to beat the
Houston Texans 24-22 and a 24-yarder to end a 30-27 victory at
Jacksonville.
He went 20 of 21 on field-goal attempts and 30 of 30 on extra points
during the 2024 regular season. McManus missed a 38-yard field goal
and made a 26-yarder in a 22-10 wild-card playoff loss at
Philadelphia.
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FILE - Green Bay Packers' Brandon McManus kicks a field goal during
the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears
Dec. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley, File)
His 2024 performance earned McManus a three-year, $15.3 million
contract, but he wasn’t quite as consistent last year. He was 24 of
30 on field goals — going just 6 of 12 from at least 40 yards out —
and went 32 of 33 on extra points.
He was 7 of 9 on field goals in Green Bay’s first four contests
before missing two games with a quadriceps injury. Havrisik filled
in for him those two games and went 4 of 4 on field-goal attempts,
including a franchise-record 61-yarder.
McManus returned to action but went just 4 of 8 on field-goal
attempts over three games before sitting out one more game with a
quadriceps issue. He then returned and made all 13 of his field-goal
attempts in Green Bay’s final seven regular-season games.
But his inaccuracy in the playoffs proved costly as Green Bay blew a
21-3 halftime lead.
He had a 55-yard field-goal attempt go wide left on the final play
of the first half. After Green Bay scored a touchdown in the fourth
quarter to extend its lead to 27-16, McManus’ extra-point attempt
also went wide left. Green Bay’s lead had shrunk to 27-24 when
McManus sent a 44-yard try wide right with 2:51 remaining.
McManus said after the game it was the biggest disappointment of his
career and called it an “embarrassing performance.”
“My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in
thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven
points on the board today,” McManus said.
Smack made 82.8% of his field-goal attempts during his college
career and went 10 of 13 from at least 50 yards. Although Smack
played collegiately at Florida, he’s from Maryland and has
experience kicking in cold weather.
“It’s how I started out kicking, is kicking in cold weather,” Smack
said after he was drafted.
Havrisik was only 7 of 9 on extra-point attempts in the three games
he played for Green Bay last season. He also played for the Los
Angeles Rams in 2023 and is 19 of 24 on field-goal attempts —
including 6 of 11 from at least 40 yards out — in 12 career games.
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