The Green Bay Packers received a strong performance from kicker Brandon McManus in a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day at Ford Field. McManus was perfect on all of his field goal and extra point attempts, a week after going 3-for-3 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points during their 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 12.
That doesn't solve the team's problems at the position that's been haunting them all season, though. Especially because his lingering quad issues aren't promised to subside, and the team released Lucas Havrisik, his backup.
According to Packers.com senior writer Weston Hodkiewicz, the Packers have signed receiver Will Sheppard to the active roster and released kicker Lucas Havrisik.
Sheppard was one of Shedeur Sanders' top weapons with the Colorado Buffaloes during the 2024 season, its first back in the Big 12. He's a big-play, deep-threat wideout who's a good signing in a nutshell.
Of course, these signings don't happen overnight. There is a serious need for place-kicking depth, and now Havrisik is a free agent again.
There's always the chance he's signed back to the practice squad. If he's not, and the team is left with no one besides McManus, there is a clear scapegoat if special teams somehow factor into the team's elimination this postseason.
Rich Bisaccia Can Be One of Several Packers Coaches Fired in Offseason
While talk of Rich Bisaccia being fired has cooled with the team's recent success, the Packers' special teams coordinator has been on thin ice all season. Havrisik has been better all year, and still can't get looks from Bisaccia and Matt LaFleur.
Of course, Bisaccia could be part of a wider effort from management to cull the entire coaching staff. LaFleur has had his own head-scratching situation at the running back position that also temporarily looked solved against the Lions with a strong showing from Josh Jacobs. Despite the uncertainty on offense, if there were to be a coordinator who would be most likely to be shown the door following the 2025 season, assuming Green Bay falls short of expectations, Bisaccia would seem like the strongest pick. In the grand scheme of things, firing a special teams coordinator would come before the offensive or defensive coordinators, and it is hard to imagine a scenario where Matt LaFleur isn't safe.
Personnel decisions seem like the easy ones. From a narrative standpoint, LaFleur and his staff are whiffing on the chances Brian Gutekunst is taking. This only adds to the pressure on Bisaccia and the rest of the coaching staff to figure things out before it's too late.