Before the matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6, the Green Bay Packers were dealing with a kicker crisis. Not only was special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia under fire for the team's kicking struggles, but Brandon McManus was also dealing with a quad injury that jeopardized his status. At the end, the veteran kicker wasn't able to suit up. To replace him, the Packers worked Lucas Havrisik on Friday, signed him on Saturday, and put him out there on Sunday. Havrisik responded with a perfect game, going 2/2 on field goals and 3/3 on extra point attempts.
This performance signaled the end of a kicker on the Packers' practice squad. Mark McNamee, who signed with the Packers as part of the NFL's International Pathway Program after Alex Hale suffered an offseason injury, was released by the team, per Packers insider Ellie French.
Packers Release Mark McNamee Ahead of Week 7
This is not a surprising development for the Irish kicker who was already a long shot to have an NFL career. The 25-year-old has only kicked in an NFL game once before, during the Packers' preseason. Against the Colts, he missed a 39-yard field goal and an extra point attempt, suggesting that he wasn't particularly ready to kick at an NFL level.
This was made obvious last week when the Packers didn't trust him enough to elevate him to the active roster. Instead, they opted to sign Havrisik, who has no familiarity with the organization or much NFL experience. In his only previous NFL experience, where he saw the field in the regular season, was with the Rams, and Havrisik went 15/20 in field goals and 19/22 extra point attempts.
The fact that the Packers went in Havrisik's direction, despite his limited track record, suggested that McNamee wasn't considered a real backup option for the Packers. McNamee, who was a Gaelic football goalkeeper before joining the NFL's IPP, has as little experience with American football as one could possibly get in the NFL. It remains to be seen whether he can turn into a capable kicker in the league, but he is not off to a great start.
For Havrisik, how long his role as the starting kicker will last is unclear. McManus' injury didn't seem too serious last week, and he has a chance to return against the Cardinals in Week 7, but Wednesday's official injury report should give Packers fans a better idea about his availability.