The Green Bay Packers have a big special teams problem, as coordinator Rich Bisaccia is under fire after the team's kicking struggles have cost them twice in the early NFL season. Now, these struggles are at risk of going from bad to worse after Thursday's injury update by head coach Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur revealed that kicker Brandon McManus is dealing with a quad injury in his right leg, and that it is "a major concern right now," per ESPN's Rob Demovsky. The Packers HC didn't rule him out for Week 6 just yet, but said the team will see how he does until Friday and make a plan accordingly.
McManus was listed as a limited participant according to Wednesday's injury report. It was initially thought to be a result of the two tackles that had to be made against the Cowboys in Week 4. LaFleur denied that this was the reason, adding that the injury occurred at practice on Wednesday, per Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Tom Silverstein.
Packers Are Dealing with a New Kicker Concern in Week 6
The Packers already missed two field goals and an extra point in four games. Even though two of them were blocked, McManus' kicking has been a concern so far. Last season, however, he was one of the most effective kickers in the league, only missing one field goal out of his 21 attempts and going 30/30 in extra points.
Therefore, McManus' absence should be considered a downgrade, especially with the uncertainty surrounding his replacement.
The next up on the depth chart for the Packers is Irish kicker Mark McNamee. He was signed by Green Bay over the summer after Alex Hale suffered an injury, as part of the NFL's International Pathway Program. The 25-year-old has only kicked in an NFL game once before, and that was this preseason against the Colts, going 1-of-2 on field-goal attempts, including a missed 39-yard attempt. He also connected twice on three extra-point tries.
McNamee has as little experience with American football as any player who has stepped on the gridiron before, which might concern Packers fans. His professional career, up until earlier this year, was as a Gaelic football goalkeeper, and it remains to be seen if he can be fully trusted on an NFL stage.
This doesn't mean that McNamee can't step up and erase any concerns on Sunday. However, it creates a potential long-term problem for the Packers if the rookie isn't up to the task. All eyes will be on Green Bay's kicker situation on Sunday as they host the Cincinnati Bengals, leaving time to tell if McManus' injury will be too much to overcome.