Brandon McManus's leg may be the difference between the Chicago Bears' adulation following their 31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers on Saturday night at Soldier Field and his employment with his current team.
By missing a field goal and an extra point during a fourth quarter in which the Bears scored 25 points, and one earlier in the game, McManus, on paper and through math, lost the Packers this game. At best, he prevented them from having the chance to go to overtime in the fourth quarter with the missed kicks within those 15 minutes.
McManus's timing couldn't have been worse. To lose in the fashion they did, to a rival, no less, could necessitate great change in Green Bay. The only way it could've been worse was if the game had taken place at Lambeau Field.
Any change is going to be directly tied to McManus, who is now the symbol of the team's failures on the biggest stage. Changes will be coming over McManus either way, since he has an out in his contract that would cost the team dead cap, but may be necessary given recent events.
And if a divorce truly is in the cards this offseason, the Packers can take a few paths to get there.
Packers Must Rethink Brandon McManus' Future in Green Bay
The heartbreaking elimination loss was just an example of how rocky the 2025 campaign was for McManus. Expectations were high after the veteran kicker inked a three-year, $15.3 million extension ($5 million guaranteed) back in the offseason, seemingly giving the Packers a reliable leg to count on through the 2027 season.
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for McManus to be a constant source of frustration among Green Bay fans. His accuracy left much to be desired to begin the season, as he made only seven successful kicks on nine attempts (77.8%) through the Packers' first four games. He then missed the next two games with a quad injury, opening the door for free-agent addition Lukas Havrisik to step up and nail all four of his FG attempts and all six extra-point tries in Weeks 6 and 7.
McManus would miss another game after that, but it seemed like he turned things around in the season's second half. The former Temple Owl went 13-of-13 and 16-of-16 on FGs and XPs, respectively, in the final seven regular-season games, which is why Packers fans weren't worried about him heading into Saturday's showdown.
But after being bounced by the Bears, it's clear that McManus can't just waltz into Lambeau Field like everything is fine next season. Between his regular-season inconsistency and postseason collapse, general manager Brian Gutekunst needs to rethink the team's kicker position, which includes turning the page on the 34-year-old leg.
Packers-McManus Split Could Unfold in Multiple Ways
As previously mentioned, McManus has an out in his contract this offseason; however, there are benefits to splitting depending on when ties are cut.
According to Spotrac, McManus is due a $1 million roster bonus on the third day of the league's new year in March. The Packers can move on from him before then if they want to avoid paying that amount, but that also means they'll only create just over $2 million in cap space.
A post-June 1 split makes the most sense, even if it splits the dead cap penalty across two seasons. Per Spotrac, a cut after that date will result in $1.6 million in dead money and $3.7 million in cap savings, while a trade would result in a $2.6 million dead cap hit and $2.7 million in freed-up cash. It isn't hard to imagine how GM Gutekunst could use those funds to be more aggressive with his offseason spending plans.
Whether it's through free agency or the 2026 NFL draft, the Packers can (and should) use that money to upgrade their special teams and move on from McManus. His best days are clearly behind him, and the last thing Green Bay needs is to return to the playoffs next year, only for him to play a key role in another early exit.
In other words, it'd be surprising to see McManus in a Packers uniform next season. His days in Titletown are numbered, and now all that's left to figure out is when he'll be given his walking papers, not if he'll get them.