The Green Bay Packers came close to being a championship contender in 2025, but a late-season slide sent them into an early offseason. With the Super Bowl concluding the 2025 campaign, the Packers will have a list of moves to consider as they look to get over the hump.
If the Packers are being serious with themselves, cutting veteran kicker Brandon McManus should be at the top of their list. McManus’s future is up in the air after a rough second season in Green Bay, and his missed pair of field goals along with an extra point during the Packers’ playoff loss to the Chicago Bears last month didn't do any favors.
While head coach Matt LaFleur has stressed patience with the situation, it has reached a boiling point and has become one of Green Bay’s top priorities.
Packers Must Move on From Brandon McManus This Offseason
Despite all the evidence, you may think McManus is safe for 2026.
After a successful first season with the Packers, where he made 20-of-21 (95.2%) field goals and all 30 extra points, McManus signed a three-year, $15.3 million contract to return to Green Bay last spring. Unfortunately, McManus crashed back to earth in the first season of that deal, making 24-of-30 (80.0%) of his field goals and 32-of-33 (97.0%) of his extra points.
The drop in performance would validate a split, and the Packers would only eat $3.3 million in dead money, per Spotrac, and save $1.9 million against the cap with a release before June 1. McManus also has a $1 million roster bonus due on March 13, which would be another reason to move on.
Of course, that’s not a massive amount of money, and the Packers could counter that it wouldn’t take much to bring McManus back for another season. It’s also notable that general manager Brian Gutekunst commended special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia’s work during his end-of-season press conference, which probably means they don’t see a change necessary.
But the Packers have already seen how one missed kick can change everything. While McManus could return, the margin for error in the NFC North is slim, and there are several potential upgrades on the free agent market, including Brandon Aubrey, Eddy Pineiro, and Joey Slye. There’s also a chance the Packers could bring in competition that could beat McManus in training camp, but that would be delaying the inevitable.
In the end, the Packers should rip the band-aid off and make cutting McManus one of their first moves of the offseason.