When it was confirmed that the Green Bay Packers had re-signed veteran long snapper Matt Orzech to a three-year extension on Tuesday, it likely flew under the radar. NFL teams were finalizing their 53-man rosters, and key players like Terry McLaurin and Trey Hendrickson were finally agreeing to new deals.
If you look at the bigger picture, though, this is a move that had to be made for the Packers.
Kicker Brandon McManus was phenomenal last season, making 20 of his 21 field goals in the regular season. That success translated over to the preseason, where he connected on 66 of 70 field goals and extra point attempts in training camp, a sign of how important an experienced long snapper like Orzech is, especially on a team that is looking for any advantage it can get in a loaded NFC North.
On Thursday, LaFleur offered nothing but high praise for the 30-year-old, per USA Today Packers beat writer Ryan Wood.
Matt LaFleur on recently signed Matt Orzech: "It's one of those things that you don't appreciate all the time. You don't notice it until something bad happens, and thankfully with us, with him there, we haven't had a lot of those moments. Matt has done an outstanding job. He's an…
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) August 28, 2025
"It's one of those things that you don't appreciate all the time," LaFleur said. "You don't notice it until something bad happens, and thankfully with us, with him there, we haven't had a lot of those moments. Matt has done an outstanding job. He's an excellent snapper and even better teammate."
LS Matt Orzech Has Quietly Been a Key Part of Packers' Success
While LaFleur has been busy playing mind games with Green Bay's Week 1 opponent, the Detroit Lions, he clearly had a lot of good things to say about Orzech. Signed as a free agent after previous stints with five teams, including the Jacksonville Jaguars and Los Angeles Rams, Orzech struggled during his first season with the Packers before settling in with the veteran McManus last season.
According to Zach Kruse of Packers Wire, Orzech has appeared in all 34 regular-season games and all three playoff games for Green Bay since 2023. Although he was set to enter the 2025 season on the final year of his original deal with the franchise, the extension will keep him there through the 2028 season and give the Packers a reliable long snapper, which should prove valuable when points are at a premium and field goals are counted on.
With McManus recently extended as well and punter Daniel Whelan's emergence as Green Bay's punter, re-signing Orzech assures the Packers will have their special teams unit intact to begin the 2025 season. It's safe to say Orzech's importance to the team has not gone unnoticed.