I expected Smack to be the kicker after they invested a sixth round draft pick, but I also expected a competition in training camp before a final decision was made. The new special team's coordinator was clearly not enamored with McManus. I hope Smack turns out better than Carlson.

At least the Pack will pick up around $2.5MM in 2026 cap room which may help them sign a good Y TE which currently feels like their biggest roster hole. Is Njoku still available?

Holy cow! A surprise move, but I like it. The entire McManus injury deal and failure in the playoffs really was irritating. Hope Smack lives up to the early prognostications.

Told you: You don't draft a kicker in the sixth round with the intent of not making him your guy. Now maybe the organization is ready for a bigger step: a makeover in attitude and performance for the rest of our special teams. We have much better ST prospects on the roster than we have in years past. Long, long overdue!

Kinda wild that they gave him $1 mil and booted him instead of letting him compete. The problem is, he was great all summer. So are you then gonna keep him as your kicker?

Every once in a while, Gutie cuts bait. Soulless he is.

Good.

In fairness to McManus, there was almost no possibility that he was going to be the kicker next season after the Packers went out of their way to draft Smack. In other words, let McManus move on and look for another job as early as possible.
It's better for the Packers this way as well. Don't keep guys around when they're clearly not in our plans. Treat everyone fairly, even the ones we have to let go of. Plus, hanging on to guys who are in the awkward position of probably getting cut eventually is not a good vibe for the other players. If players see other players being given a fair shake and treated with dignity -- even the ones not likely to make the team -- it will increase their loyalty to the Packers.
We want the guys who leave the Packers for one reason or another to do well elsewhere. We want the Packers to be first class in its relationship to the players. We want to be truly caring even with competitiveness. This kind of thinking will make the Packers a popular destination for free agents, and will help to build a team chemistry of giving oneself to the team.
We can still bring in a promising kicker just in case Smack is unexpectedly terrible, or injured. This would be a guy who would welcome the opportunity to get noticed for another team if the Packers can't use him.

No surprise, his days were numbered as soon as Trey Smack was drafted. Cost them a chance to go deep in the play-offs with his missed points.

While they gave McM $1 mill before the draft they almost had to, not knowing if they would get an adequate kicker in the draft. Once they did he was gone. It's not out of the realm of possibility that McM asked to be released.
The move will have a $4.3 mill dead money hit this year, clearing $900k from his salary. Smack will earn about the same money so it's a wash this year but the Packers will gain $6 million from the cap next year.

McM was hurt last year but the seven points he cost that Packers in the playoff against the Bears is a core reason he's gone. I dare say it also might be why there's a new special teams coach as well.

Younger and cheaper beats old and costly in the NFL these days.

For sure, for sure, McManus should have made those kicks against Chicago. Yup, even that 55 yarder in the wind. That was seven points total and that's on him.

Just refresh my memory people. What was the score at half-time in that game? Thanks in advance.

Good Luck Brandon McManus going forward wherever, and very very good luck to Trey Smack.

Good riddance. He won’t be missed. Here’s hoping that in the future he keeps his hands to himself.

I’m not unhappy with this move, though it wouldn’t surprise me if McManus asked for a release. Why is that OK? Havrisik wasn’t a whole lot worse than McManus—79.2% versus 80% last year. McManus’ career average is 82%. McManus was considerably better at extra points.

Why does this matter? Because Havrisik may improve, but even if he doesn’t he gives us a fallback to Smack, so we have a back stop option we can probably keep on the PS if needed and to push Smack through camp.

One thing though, is that only 4 of 20 rookie kickers taken in the draft in the last 10 years have bettered what McManus managed last year (80%) plus one who tied it. One of them was Anders Carlson!

However good Smack maybe, it’s going to be an interesting ride. That said, McManus will be 35 by the season. That’s about where kickers begin to decline. Change was going to have to come from somewhere. Crosby was done by 38 effectively, for example.

Now is the perfect time to shore up any other weakness on the team to take as much pressure off Smack as possible. Sign 1 of Clowney or Epenesa to fill the remaining hole and take pressure off Parsons to return too fast. Also fill the need @ backup blocking TE, make the trade for Schoonmaker from the Cowboys. Since Vallentine can't tackle and Hadden is still recovering from surgery, maybe another cheap veteran @ CB would be wise.

I looks like GB will fill RB2 from within out of Lloyd, Strong, or Martinez. If not we can grab a RB in the summer.

The Packers need to strengthen every last weak spot to go as far as they can in the playoffs, but even Moreso to take pressure off the new kicker to have to win games for them. We are close to having a complete, dangerous team.