The Green Bay Packers have been undefeated over their last three games with a pair of wins following a Week 4 tie against the Dallas Cowboys. There have been several impressive aspects to Green Bay’s play as of late, but one of the most positive developments is how they’ve handled the absence of McManus.
McManus has been out the past two games due to a quadriceps injury. While he has been labeled as “day-to-day,” the Packers have been able to get by with Lucas Havrisik, who was added to the roster before Green Bay’s Week 6 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Havrisik hasn’t missed a kick since joining the Packers, and some believe that he should replace McManus on a full-time basis. But whatever LaFleur decides, it appears it will come soon, as ESPN’s Rob Demovsky reported that McManus kicked on Thursday for the first time since Oct. 8.
Brandon McManus Gives Packers Tough Decision Ahead of Week 8
Demovsky broke down McManus’s practice, saying he began “with his right quad wrapped but quickly shed it and went through some warmups.” Packers team writer Weston Hodkiewicz also noted that McManus “appears to be practicing today, but the team wasn’t kicking yet during the portion of practice open to the media.”
Wherever McManus is in his recovery, Thursday’s practice was the first step in a return to the field. The 34-year-old stabilized the Packers’ kicking situation after joining the team last season, making 20-of-21 (95.2%) field goals and all 30 of his extra point attempts in 11 games. His performance tailed off at the beginning of this season, however, as he made 7-of-9 (77.8%) field goals and 10-of-11 extra points in the first four games.
While McManus has been good overall, Havrisik has been impressive during his opportunity with the team. He has made all four field goals, including a franchise-record 61-yard attempt in Green Bay's Week 7 win over the Arizona Cardinals, and knocked down all six of his extra point attempts. While Havrisik’s previous stop as an NFL kicker with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 didn’t go well (15-of-20 FG, 19-of-22 extra points), his youth also makes fans wonder if they have a long-term answer at the position.
If McManus is ready to go, it would likely mean that the Packers would cut Havrisik, as teams do not carry multiple kickers on the 53-man roster. But if the Packers decide they want to make a change, it would be an abrupt end to the veteran’s time in Green Bay.
For a team that has shuffled kickers frequently since Mason Crosby left the team after the 2022 season, deciding which kicker to go with is an important choice. Fortunately for everyone, McManus’s recovery could mean that decision is coming soon and will give the Packers someone to roll with for the remainder of the year.