Brandon McManus swung and missed too many times last season.
The Packers drafted a kicker in the sixth round in last month’s NFL Draft, and as a result, released McManus just one season after he signed a three-year $15.5 million contract — and following a playoff game in which he missed both of his field goals attempts and a critical extra point.
McManus went 24of-30- last year on field goals in the regular season and missed one extra point in 33 tries last season in his second year with Green Bay.
Those numbers are more or less serviceable, but he had a disastrous playoff showing in the 31-27 wild-card loss to the Bears in which his struggles were the difference in the game and greatly affected the Packers’ final drive.
He first missed a 55-yarder to close the first half with the Packers ahead, 21-3, and next whiffed on an extra point after Green Bay took a 27-16 lead with 6:36 remaining in the game.
The Bears rallied to slice the deficit to 27-24 before he missed a 44-yard field goal attempt — a chip shot by today’s standards — and Chicago promptly took a 31-27 lead on the next possession.
Those seven points left off the board loomed rather large since Green Bay now needed a touchdown on its final drive, and their drive stalled at the Bears’ 28-yard line.
McManus’s release is surely a show of confidence in their sixth-round draft pick, Florida kicker Trey Smack.
Smack was solid for the Gators, going 53-of-64 (82.8 percent), including 10-of-13 from 50-plus yards.
The 34-year-old McManus made just three of his five kicks from 50 yards or more last season, including an embarrassing attempt at a game-tying 64-yard field goal in a loss to the Eagles.
Known as one of the biggest legs in the NFL during his time at Mile High with the Broncos from 2015-22, McManus is now looking for his fourth home in five years.
He struggled with Jaguars in 2023 before posting strong 2024 campaign with the Packers, leading to the big contract extension, but 2025 was so disappointing that the Packers felt it was best to move on.
