The Green Bay Packers made the somewhat bold decision to release veteran kicker Brandon McManus on Friday, prompting some surprise from around the league.
The Packers released McManus on Friday roughly two months after giving him a $1 million roster bonus in March. The move comes after the Packers traded up in the sixth round of the NFL Draft to select Florida kicker Trey Smack.
The Packers had publicly maintained that McManus and Smack would compete to win the kicking job in training camp. That obviously was not the case, and many were surprised that the Packers deviated from their plan.
Well – that answers the kicking competition. Brandon McManus is out. It’s Trey Smack’s job to lose.
— Kyle Malzhan (@KyleMalzhan) May 8, 2026
McManus left 7 points on the board during the Wild Card loss. Missed 7 kicks his first 7 games last year that involved three missed FGs in 3 separate 3-point losses.
The… https://t.co/rsduXE6wRX
Yes. Giving a kicker a 1 million roster bonus in March to stay on the roster only to then cut him after drafting a 6th round kicker who is no guarantee to be good & not even letting them compete in camp when there’s no upside to releasing McManus now is a wow.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) May 8, 2026
WHOA
— Peter Bukowski (@Peter_Bukowski) May 8, 2026
They were clearly just over McManus. The playoff game was a bridge too far. https://t.co/ILOP8BT3zM
Damn. I was fully expecting Trey Smack to ultimately win the job by the end of the summer, but I didn’t think there was a chance they’d release Brandon McManus so soon without a competition. https://t.co/8GUPbgZShv
— Zach Jacobson (@zacobson) May 8, 2026
McManus cannot be shocked by the ultimate decision. He missed two field goals and an extra point in the Packers’ 31-27 loss in the NFC Wild Card game last year, which likely sealed his fate. The fact that they kept him on the roster and paid him that bonus is perhaps the stranger decision, though it’s possible the team kept him around as insurance in case they did not land the kicker they sought in the draft.
The playoff game was not McManus’ only lowlight last season. There will always be a need for kickers, but his NFL career is definitely in doubt.
