The Green Bay Packers mounted an improbable comeback in the fourth quarter in a hard-fought battle against the Steelers in Sunday Night Football. Climbing out of the hole they dug themselves in the first half, the Packers won their third straight game to improve to 5-1-1. One of the primary reasons for the hole was Brandon McManus missing two field goals in the first half.
Returning from his quad injury, McManus didn't look like himself on Sunday, raising questions about whether he rushed his return for fears of losing his job to Lucas Havrisik. In the veteran kicker's absence, Havrisik performed admirably, going 4/4 in field goals and 6/6 in extra point attempts. Beyond the decision to sign him, the Packers' unconventional approach with him will pay dividends now that they are facing a tough decision with McManus and the kicker position.
Lucas Havrisik May Have Won the Kicker Competition After Week 8
Instead of signing Havrisik to the practice squad and then elevating him to the active roster, the Packers signed him to the 53-man roster right away. This prevented other teams from poaching him off the practice squad, especially after he had two perfect games. There are plenty of kicker-needy teams looking for upgrades, and Havrisik would have been an ideal candidate in the last two weeks.
Not only that, but the Packers surprisingly kept Havrisik on the roster even after McManus was set to return. While many expected them to release Havrisik after McManus was announced as active for Week 8, the Packers held onto him, potentially wasting a roster spot. After seeing McManus' disastrous performance on Sunday, however, the organization was proven right.
Now, the Packers can either trade one of McManus and Havrisik at the trade deadline and get some draft capital back. At the bare minimum, they now have more data points and flexibility to make a better evaluation at kicker. If they want to move on from McManus, who currently is the least accurate kicker in the NFL by percentage, they will not have to look for another option since they have Havrisik already.
There are more teams in need of kicker upgrades than usual. The Jaguars, Rams, Commanders, Saints, and Lions have all made less than 75% of their field goal attempts. It's safe to assume that at least a few of these teams would be on the market for a better kicker before the Nov. 4 trade deadline. What decision the Packers will make regarding their kicker situation in the next week will be fascinating to watch.