GREEN BAY, Wis. — At one point, Brandon McManus was the savior the Green Bay Packers' desperately needed at kicker.
Then he was a scapegoat for a miserable special teams unit.
Then he was the red-headed stepchild that fans wanted to see kicked to the curb.
On Friday, they got their wish. The Packers released McManus after two seasons in Green Bay, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. The move comes on the heels of general manager Brian Gutekunst packaging a pair of seventh-round picks to trade up in the sixth round for Florida's Trey Smack, essentially putting McManus' job security on notice.
After drafting Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round last month, the Packers released veteran kicker Brandon McManus today, per source. pic.twitter.com/mDWi0MqdWW
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) May 8, 2026
Gutekunst insisted that wasn't the case after the draft, saying, "We have a couple of guys here that we felt good about, but we also wanted to increase that competition and make sure that we come out of this thing with a guy that can go win us games."
The expectation was that the Packers would allow McManus, Smack, and Lucas Havrisik to compete for the job over the course of training camp and the preseason. Or, if anything, Havrisik would be the odd man out, and it'd come down to McManus and Smack. Instead, the Packers are ultimately positioning Smack as the clubhouse leader in any kicking competition that will take place.
McManus faced sexual assault allegations from a flight attendant during his brief stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, once that was settled and McManus wasn't going to face discipline, the Packers pursued him midway through the 2024 campaign. That summer's three-way kicking competition between Anders Carlson, Greg Joseph, and Brayden Narveson left the Packers uninspired -- and possibly demoralized -- but Narveson was anointed as the kicker heading into the regular season anyway.
It only took a few games for Narveson to hit the chopping block and for Gutekunst to outsource for McManus' services. Just four days after arriving in Green Bay, McManus kicked a 45-yard game-winning field goal to beat the Houston Texans. The following week, he'd kick another game-winner from 27 yards out to beat the Jaguars. For the 11 games he played in his inaugural season with the Packers, McManus converted on all 30 of his extra-point attempts and was 20-of-21 from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond 50 yards.
McManus' efforts earned him a three-year extension worth $15.3 million the following offseason.
Any good grace that McManus had built up with the Packers began to slowly dwindle across the span of 2025, though. He sustained a quad injury in the Sept. 28 game against the Dallas Cowboys that hindered him for most of the season, and it had become apparent. He was 24-of-30 from the field -- a stark contrast from his stellar 2024 numbers -- and 6-of-12 from beyond 40 yards. He missed three games with the quad injury, forcing the Packers to turn to Havrisik, who would boot a franchise record 61-yard field goal in the Oct. 19 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
McManus would miss at least one kick in six of the first seven games he played last season -- six kicks from the field and one extra point. His performance would stabilize as the year went on, making all 13 of his field goal attempts over the Packers' final seven games to end the regular season.
A dejected Brandon McManus after missing an extra-point attempt in the playoff game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. (Photo: USA TODAY Sports)
It was his meltdown in the playoffs that signaled the Packers would need to venture in a different direction. McManus missed a pair of field goals from 55 and 44 yards out in the Packers' Wild Card loss to the Chicago Bears, including an extra-point attempt after Jordan Love's 23-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden in the fourth quarter. That was seven points left on the field -- the Packers would lose by four. Despite the collapse, the Packers decided to pay McManus' $1 million roster bonus in March, symbolizing that they remained committed to the 34-year-old.
That wouldn't wind up being the case, as the Packers will now turn to a rookie sixth-round pick at kicker for the second time in Gutekunst's tenure. It didn't work out the first time with Carlson, but the Packers are hoping -- and praying -- for better results this time around as they continue to navigate a post-Mason Crosby world that hasn't treated them too well.
The 22-year-old Smack was the top-ranked kicker on the consensus big board. Across a four-year career at Florida, Smack made 53 of his 64 attempts from the field (82.8 percent) and 100 of his 101 total extra-point attempts. His lone miss came as a senior when he went 27-of-28.
Between his junior and senior seasons, Smack earned All-SEC honors in back-to-back years -- he was 18-of-22 on kicks beyond 40 yards, including 8-of-10 from beyond 50 yards. It's easy to see why the Packers, who struggled in that department last season, were enamored with what Smack could offer with a big-time leg.
In an Oct. 18 game against Mississippi State, Smack successfully booted a pair of 50-yard field goals in the same game for the first time in his collegiate career. He set the Gators' school record for the most 50-yard field goals made throughout a career (10).
Zachary Jacobson is the Editor-in-Chief of Packer Report. He is entering his 12th season covering theGreen Bay Packers. He is a member of thePro Football Writers of America. Follow him on Twitter@zacobson or contact him via email atitszachariahj@gmail.com