Before the Green Bay Packers take on the Detroit Lions in a pivotal NFC North clash on Thanksgiving, the team made a slew of roster moves on Wednesday, which also involved kicker Lucas Havrisik.
The Packers surprisingly parted ways with the 26-year-old Havrisik on the 53-man roster, who appeared in three games with the club. His last appearance in Week 11 against the New York Giants didn’t go so well, as Havrisik missed two extra points.
It also didn’t help that Havrisik was inactive for last week’s game against the Vikings, where Brandon McManus was a perfect 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points.
While it's a shame to see Havrisik depart, especially with how he played earlier this season, it's not impossible to think that he could be back at the friendly confines of Lambeau Field.
Packers Could Entertain Bringing Lucas Havrisik Back Through Practice Squad
Assuming Havrisik goes unclaimed on waivers, he could return to Green Bay via the practice squad. That wouldn’t be a bad idea in theory for the Packers, especially if McManus were to struggle down the stretch.
Currently, Green Bay has only 13 players on its practice squad. Teams are allowed to have a maximum of 17 players on their taxi roster, which includes the designated International Player Pathway Program.
This means the Packers have at least four open spots, seemingly clearing the way for a Havrisik return if Green Bay wants it. There aren’t a bunch of teams looking for a new kicker, outside of the New Orleans Saints, who shook up their kicker department earlier this week.
Therefore, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia and head coach Matt LaFleur should be open to a quick reunion, as Havrisik is a nice practice squad stash, whom you can give a futures deal to at the end of the season.
However, suppose the Packers were to re-sign the 26-year-old kicker to the practice squad. It opens up the possibility of another team poaching Havrisik over the last few remaining weeks of the regular season.
The former Arlington Renegades kicker showed that he has a big leg, making a 61-yard field goal (career-high) in Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, which a lot of teams would love to have on their 53-man rosters.