The Green Bay Packers are making a significant roster move after rookie minicamp.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the team is cutting ties with veteran kicker Brandon McManus.
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The move comes after the Packers drafted Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“After drafting Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round last month, the Packers released veteran kicker Brandon McManus today, per source,” Schefter reported.
ESPN’s Rob Demovsky adds that the Packers are making this decision despite the fact that the team paid McManus a $1 million roster bonus in March.
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Why Packers cut Brandon McManus
Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers place kicker Brandon McManus (17) reacts to missing a field goal late in the fourth quarter as Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones (33) celebrates in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
The Green Bay Packers signed McManus to a three-year, $15.3 million extension last offseason.
McManus was highly effective for Green Bay in 2024, when he made a career-best 95.2% of his field goals and all of his extra points.
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However, things didn’t go anywhere near as smoothly in 2025.
Not only did McManus miss six field goals and an extra point during the regular season, he also whiffed on a pair of field goals and an extra point in the playoffs, which was massive because the Packers lost their wild-card game by four points.
“This is the biggest disappointment of my career,” he told reporters after the loss to the Chicago Bears. “Just an embarrassment of a performance.”
“It’s disappointing that 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 added. “It’s the most disappointing point of my career.”
In all, McManus was 1-for-4 on postseason field goals over two seasons in Green Bay.
The bottom line is McManus simply was not worth the money the Packers were paying him and it only made sense to go with a cheaper option.
What this means for Trey Smack
Nov 1, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Florida Gators kicker Trey Smack (29) lines up for a kick against the Georgia Bulldogs at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images
The writing was on the wall for McManus once the Packers spent a sixth-round pick on a kicker.
Smack had a strong college career, with the rookie kicker making 82.8% of his field goals and 99% of his extra points.
Over his three seasons as the kicker at Florida, Smack showed he has power in that leg, also, with 10 50-yard makes in that span.
Smack nailed 5-of-6 50-yarders in 2025.
McManus’ release means Smack is one step closer to making the 53-man roster. As of right now, his only other form of competition is veteran Lucas Havrisik.