There are several great players who have played for the Green Bay Packers. But while Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers, and Bart Starr might get most of the adoration, the kickers that have worn green and gold aren’t far behind. While you could walk into a Wisconsin tavern and hear a conversation about Ryan Longwell or Mason Crosby, the kickers that couldn’t get the job done are just as popular – albeit for the wrong reasons.
That’s the case with the Packers’ place kickers over the past two seasons, as Anders Carlson and Brayden Narveson couldn’t hold the job down. But current Packers kicker Brandon McManus not only stabilized the position in the second half of last season, he has Green Bay smiling as they take the field for training camp.
Brandon McManus Already Doing His Job During Packers Training Camp
McManus was on fire as The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman noted he was 6-of-6 on kicks during the Packers’ practice on Wednesday. Schneidman also reported that the kicks included a PAT and attempts from 38 yards, 31 yards, 43 yards, and 46 yards.
McManus 6/6 today from PAT, 38, 38, 41, 43 and 46.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) July 23, 2025
If McManus kicks like this, it will ease a sore spot for Packers place kickers since Crosby departed after the 2022 season. Green Bay attempted to solve the problem by using a sixth-round pick on Carlson during the 2023 draft, but his rookie season didn’t live up to the hype, making 27-of-33 field goals but just 34-of-39 extra points.
Narveson beat out Carlson for the starting job in last year’s training camp but made just 12-of-18 field goals and all 18 extra points in the first seven games before being replaced by McManus. The veteran stabilized the position from there, knocking down 20-of-21 field goals and all 30 extra point attempts over the final 11 games of the season, and proved why he is the unquestioned starter during training camp.
McManus may not be as important as Jordan Love’s progress in his third year as a starter, or who exactly is going to be WR1 when the season begins. But a steady performance could take the kicker debate off the agenda at the local bar and put a lot more points on the scoreboard as the Packers push for an NFC North Division title in 2025.