The Green Bay Packers improved their record to 5-1-1 with a second-half comeback on Sunday night to defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-25. The only reason the Packers were forced to play from behind for much of the game was due to the poor first half from kicker Brandon McManus, who was returning from a quad injury that kept him sidelined the previous two contests.
McManus missed both field goal attempts in the opening half, a 57-yarder that came up short and a 44-yarder to the left that would have made it a one-score game at halftime. Whether it was some lingering effects of the quad injury or the poor field conditions that played a role, McManus now has four missed field goals in five games this season. For comparison's sake, Lucas Havrisik is a perfect 4-for-4 on field goals and 6-for-6 on extra-point attempts in his absence, which would seem to seal his fate in Green Bay unless the accuracy improves.
Despite the inconsistency from McManus, Ryan Wood, Packers beat writer for USA Today, noted that head coach Matt LaFleur said McManus would kick on Wednesday and that there are no lingering effects for the quad from his return in Pittsburgh. That certainly leads to an interesting conundrum in Green Bay's kicking room with two players posting drastically different results.
Green Bay's Kicker Situation Just Took Another Turn
After joining the Packers mid-season in 2024, McManus only missed one field goal and made each of his extra points, but that seems like a distant memory given his struggles this season when several kickers around the league are nearly automatic from beyond 50 yards. According to Pro Football Focus, McManus ranks 21st out of 33 qualified kickers with a 67.7 overall grade this season and last in field goal percentage (69.2%), a stark decline from the success he had in his first season as a Packer.
With the decision to keep Havrisik on the roster and having two kickers at the moment, Green Bay has a dilemma on its hands as the Nov. 4 trade deadline approaches. Instead of signing Havrisik to the practice squad and then elevating him to the 53-man roster, Green Bay made the unorthodox decision to sign him anyway to keep other teams from trying to claim him.
Havrisik made 75% of his field-goal attempts in his last full-time season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 before spending last season on the practice squads for the Cleveland Browns and Buffalo Bills. It is safe to say that he has looked even better with the Packers, kicking a franchise-record 61-yard field goal against the Cincinnati Bengals and proving what he can bring to the team.
If McManus were hurt or not at 100%, it would be easier to pivot to Havrisik. The fact that he does not appear to be feeling any ill effects from his return leaves the Packers choosing between two healthy kickers, which is a lot more difficult than if one were not healthy. While McManus has had some success in years past, Havrisik has excelled in limited action with the Packers now. So, it remains to be seen what Green Bay decides to do going forward with a complicating kicker situation.
One thing seems certain, however. LaFleur is going to have one tough decision on his hands no matter what he ultimately chooses.