Why Packers parted ways with Brandon McManus for Trey Smack originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Green Bay Packers will have a new kicker in the 2026 NFL season.
It didn’t take long for them to hand that job to sixth-round rookie Trey Smack out of Florida.
They signaled the move by cutting Brandon McManus on Friday.
McManus got a $15.3 million contract last offseason, but that didn’t matter in this competition.
Well that competition didn’t last long https://t.co/OLIp7PCS6S
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) May 8, 2026
The Smack era is underway in Green Bay.
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Why did the Packers cut Brandon McManus?
The Packers clearly think they need an upgrade at kicker. Smack has a great name and could be a star.
He made 10 kicks of 50 yards or more in his career at Florida, a school record, so clearly he’s got a big leg.
McManus will turn 35 in July and doesn’t quite have the big leg that he used to.
In 2025, he was 3-for-5 from 50-plus, and even more concerning, only 3-for-7 from between 40 and 49 yards.
Among modern kickers, McManus isn’t incredibly accurate — a career 82.0% field goal kicker. With guys getting up around 90% often, including from deep, McManus wasn’t worth the money to keep around.
Smack, on a cheaper contract and with a bigger leg, brings his exciting potential and upside into the Packers kicking job for the season ahead.