Packers GM Makes Big Kicker Announcement Going into Offseason
By Jovan Alford
One of the bigger talking points heading into this season was involving the kicker position for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers brought multiple kickers to training camp in the summer (Greg Joseph, Anders Carlson, and James Turner), but did not keep any of those guys at the end of the preseason.
Instead, Green Bay opted to sign rookie Brayden Narveson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans to be their starting kicker for Week 1. The Narveson experience did not go well for the Packers as he only made 12-of-17 field goals (70.6%) before getting cut after Green Bay’s 34-13 Week 6 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Narveson was a perfect 4-for-4 on extra points in that game but was 2-for-3 on field goals. The rookie kicker struggled with field goals between 40-49 yards (5-of-9), which didn’t help his cause to stick on the roster.
After cutting Narveson, the Packers immediately signed veteran Brandon McManus, who stabilized Green Bay’s special teams unit. McManus made 20-of-21 field goals (95.2 percent) and was a perfect 30-of-30 on extra points.
The veteran kicker made a 26-yard and missed a 38-yard field goal in last week’s playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the missed field goal, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made it clear on Thursday that he wants McManus back with the club for 2025, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Gutekunst also told reporters that he already talked with McManus before he left for the offseason.
After seeing how last year went with Carlson and the beginning of this season with Narveson, the Packers have finally found their kicker in McManus. The 33-year-old showed he can still kick at a high level and was an added boost, not a net negative for the Pack.
With the kicking situation likely figured out for 2025, Green Bay can now turn its attention to the other parts of the roster this offseason.
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