Packers Sign Super Bowl Champion Kicker
The Packers’ seemingly never-ending kicker problem has taken another turn with the signing of veteran Brandon McManus. He has inked a one-year deal, giving him the opportunity to prove his worth in the league. After his workout on Tuesday, the Packers saw enough competence to go in a different direction, securing him with a contract. McManus is set to make his debut this Sunday against the Texans.
The Packers have sampled too many kickers in the past couple of months, with rookie Brayden Narveson being their latest attempt to solve the kicker debacle. Unfortunately, his performance fell short of expectations, as he led the league with five missed field goals through six weeks. The Packers do not have the patience to gently parent Narveson throughout the season because they are trying to contend for the Super Bowl. At the very least, a Super Bowl team needs a capable and consistent kicker that they can trust to kick inside the 50, especially in high-pressure situations where every point counts.
This forced the Packers to reopen their search for a kicker who can consistently deliver accurately. A big ask, apparently, in this kicker market, or at least the one the Packers experimented with. Green Bay dropped their handholding with Narveson and turned to a more reliable option. The 33-year-old kicker brings a decade of NFL experience, boasting an 81.4 career field goal percentage.
Brandon McManus was the Broncos’ franchise kicker — their Mason Crosby, if you will — for nine seasons, even winning a ring with them in 2015. After his time in Denver, McManus spent one season in Jacksonville, where he kicked 30 of 37 field goals and made all 35 of his extra-point attempts. Why would a kicker like McManus be unemployed in 2024 after a solid 2023 season? Well, it turns out he ran into some serious personal problems off the field in Jacksonville. The Commanders, who were also actively shopping the kicker market this offseason, initially signed McManus in March but released him shortly after a sexual assault allegation lawsuit became public. The lawsuit, filed against McManus and the Jaguars, alleges that he sexually assaulted two women during Jacksonville’s overseas flight to London last year. According to ESPN, the NFL has since determined that there was "insufficient evidence to support a finding that a violation of the personal conduct policy occurred."
The Packers pride themselves on maintaining a roster of 53 upstanding individuals and good character, often avoiding the drafting or signing of players with such backgrounds. At this point, the Packers are unafraid to make changes at the kicker position and clearly believe McManus will fit well with their roster, both in terms of skill and character. The bar is low, as they simply need a kicker who can reliably perform, especially on attempts inside the 50, which have become the new extra point in today’s kicking era. If McManus can deliver on that, the Packers will be content. Green Bay is committed to making any moves necessary to compete at the highest level and secure the Lombardi Trophy, and they hope the McManus signing will bring them closer to that goal.
