It happened again Thursday night. Green Bay Packers rookie kicker Trey Smack missed another kick, this time an extra point. He made three more after that, but each time he made one, the crowd at Lambeau Field gave him sarcastic cheers. Thankfully, the missed PAT didn’t cost the team a win this time, but this has been a problem all season. The Packers need to figure out what to do about Smack and their kicking problem if they hope to contend for a playoff spot this season.
The Packers selected Smack in the sixth round of this year’s NFL Draft. He was the only kicker drafted in 2026. GM Brian Gutekunst traded up to get Smack, parting with two seventh-round picks to move up and grab the University of Florida kicker with the final pick in the sixth round.
Nobody doubted the strength of Smack’s leg. In college, he made more than half of his kicks from 50 yards out or more. Already this season, he has been successful both of his tries from 50 yards out or more including a 59-yard effort. But his inconsistency on makable kicks has been frustrating the team.
The numbers aren’t pretty. Through eight career NFL games, Smack has already missed five field goals and three extra points. That’s an average of one missed kick per game.
Smack’s kicking has already contributed to a loss in a game the Packers should have won. Last week, the Packers lost their game to the Detroit Lions by three points. Smack missed two field goals from 40 yards out or less including one from 26 yards out and another from 35. NFL kickers made roughly 90 percent of their kicks from that range.
Smack has also missed three extra points on the season, which is roughly in the same range as the 35-yard field goal he missed against Detroit.
The impact of having an unreliable kicker goes beyond the missed kicks. It changes the way head coach Matt LaFleur makes decisions. When the Packers get on the opposing team’s side of the field, not having a reliable kicker changes the LaFleur’s decisions about when to go for it on fourth down and when to kick a field goal.
Even in Thursday’s win over the Panthers, members of the media discussing the game indicated Smack’s inconsistency was a factor. Jordan Love played a very good game, but he made one major mistake, an interception deep in Carolina territory. More than one member of the media indicated had Love thrown the ball away, a field goal would have put the game out of reach. Had Love merely thrown the ball away, Smack would have had to try a 45-yard field goal. But each commentator mentioned that any kick by Smack would hardly be automatic.
The previous week against Detroit, LaFleur went for it on 4th-and-4 at the Lions seven-yard line. The possession took place late in the second quarter with the Packers trailing 10-7. A chip shot field goal would have tied the game. But LaFleur opted to go for it. The lack of reliability of Smack likely factored into that decision.
In addition, the tundra in Green Bay has not frozen yet. Will the University of Florida alum be able to handle the cold and wind of Green Bay in November, December, and January?
The big question going forward is whether Smack is just going through rookie struggles or whether he will remain an unreliable kicker who is capable of making long-range field goals while also missing chip shots on a regular basis.
If the Packers truly believe they can contend for a title this season, can they afford to keep Smack as their kicker for the rest of the 2026 campaign? It is probably too soon to give up on Smack, but they can’t let his inconsistency derail their season either.
Kicking has been a problem for the Packers each year since Mason Crosby left after the 2022 season. This season is no different. The team needs to figure out if Smack is ultimately the answer or if he will be another footnote in Packers kicking history. Their season could hang on the answer to that question.
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