The Green Bay Packers have several problems to examine after Monday’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but one of the biggest is Brandon McManus’s performance.
McManus has fallen off after a tremendous first season with the Packers and the only thing that overshadowed his 64-yarder that sailed into Lake Michigan at the end of Monday’s loss may have been Matt LaFleur’s playcalling. But fans still want to see the 34-year-old exiled from Green Bay while LaFleur and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia seem willing to stick with him until the bloody end.
Visions of a potential kick in the playoffs sailing wide of the goalposts are another reason why fans believe the Packers could wind up wasting a promising start to the season. But despite the struggles from McManus, Green Bay’s recent history suggests that those concerns are overblown.
Brandon McManus is Chasing the Wrong Kind of History with Packers
If there’s any topic that’s not debatable, it’s that McManus is struggling to find his 2024 form. After joining the Packers last October, McManus made 20-of-21 field goals and all 30 of his extra point attempts. But through seven games, he looks like a different kicker, making just 11-of-17 (64.7%) of his field goals and 16-of-17 (94.1%) extra points.
This isn’t just a bad season by normal standards; it’s trending toward becoming one of the worst seasons in Packers history, dating back to 1990 (min. 10 attempts). If McManus allows his struggles to continue, his current field goal percentage would be the team's third-lowest over the past 35 years, trailing only Mason Crosby in 2012 and Ryan Longwell in 2001.
Player | Season | FIeld Goals Made | Field Goals Attempted | Field Goal % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mason Crosby | 2012 | 21 | 33 | 63.2% |
Ryan Longwell | 2001 | 20 | 31 | 64.5% |
Brandon McManus | 2025 | 11 | 17 | 64.7% |
Brayden Narveson | 2024 | 12 | 17 | 70.6% |
Chris Jacke | 1994 | 19 | 26 | 73.1% |
Mason Crosby | 2021 | 25 | 34 | 73.5% |
Chris Jacke | 1995 | 17 | 23 | 73.9% |
Ryan Longwell | 2005 | 20 | 27 | 74.1% |
Dave Rayner | 2006 | 26 | 35 | 74.3% |
Mason Crosby | 2009 | 27 | 36 | 75.0% |
With McManus’s current field goal percentage also lower than Brayden Narveson, the kicker he replaced roughly a year ago, it’s sure to have Packers fans clench their tailgate beverages a little tighter when LaFleur insists he’s going with him over Lucas Havrisik. But while Havrisik made all 10 kicks (4-for-4 field goals) and has a franchise-record 61-yard field goal to his name, there is some substance to LaFleur’s decision to rely on McManus’s track record.
Packers fans will probably notice that the first two names on the list became two of the best kickers in the history of the franchise. Crosby and Longwell combined to kick 25 seasons for Green Bay and rank first and second on the team’s all-time scoring leaders list. But that never would have happened if the Packers hadn’t overreacted to some bumps in the road.
Packers History Shows Why LaFleur Should Stay Patient with McManus
Crosby was on thin ice after making 21-of-33 field goals during the 2012 season, but he rebounded immediately by making 33-of-37 (89.2%) field goals the following season. He went on to kick for another decade with the Packers and even had a perfect 16-for-16 campaign in 2020 as Green Bay reached the NFC Championship Game.
Before Crosby’s arrival, Longwell had similar struggles in 2001, making 20-of-31 (64.5%) of his attempts. A hair-trigger release would have been understandable, but the Packers stuck with him after he made 84.7% of his field goals in his first four seasons. After the 2002 campaign, Longwell rebounded to make 28-of-34 (82.4%) of his field goals in 2002 and 82.6% of his field goals over the next four seasons, before leaving for the Minnesota Vikings in free agency following the 2005 campaign.
If you squint hard enough, you can see a similar path for McManus. In the 10 seasons leading up to this year's campaign (2015-2024), McManus connected on 82.8% of his field goals, including converting at a 95.2% clip last season. There’s also a chance that his quad injury is affecting him more than anyone is letting on, as he struggles to put the ball through the uprights.
While that latter scenario should raise questions about LaFleur’s decision-making, he could compound the issue by releasing McManus at the first sign of trouble. Packers fans may have already seen enough, but their history says that patience is the right approach even if McManus has caused plenty of anxiety this season.