ClutchPoints
The Green Bay Packers are finally preparing for the 2026 NFL season with Organized Team Activities (OTAs) fully underway in Titletown. As players return to the practice field, new talent will also arrive to the building as the edge of competition and camaraderie grows each day. This means starting jobs will be free for the taking as positional battles could unfold right until the Regular Season begins.
The Packers were billed as Super Bowl contenders following their blockbuster acquisition of Micah Parsons, but key injuries to Parsons and TE Tucker Kraft led to a 9-7-1 regular season record. They were bounced by their bitter rival Chicago Bears in the NFC Wild Card to the tune of 31-27, a frustrating result given kicker Brandon McManus’ 0/2 FG mark in crucial junctures of the game.
This led Green Bay to release the 34-year old veteran McManus this offseason, a risky move given their recent volatility at the position. At the 2026 NFL Draft, the Packers used their final pick (RD6, PK216) on Florida kicker Trey Smack, clearly hoping to improve the position and special team overall moving forward.
However, the current K depth chart for the Packers includes third-year man Lucas Havrisik who started three games for Green Bay last season in relief of McManus. Overall, Havrisik went 4/4 FG and 7/9 XP while hitting from 61 yards and breaking Green Bay’s franchise long previously held by franchise all-time leading scorer K Mason Crosby.
Since Crosby’s retirement in 2022 after 16 seasons with the storied franchise, the Packers have had 15 different kickers appear with no consistency and real longevity. Now, the Packers may have one of the more competitive kicker position battles out of any team in the NFL.
Lucas Havrisik and proven success.
Lucas Havrisik came in to relieve Brandon McManus for three games as the starter was dealing with a nagging quad injury on his kicking leg all season. The Packers went 3-0 with wins over the Bengals (WK6), Cardinals (WK7), and Giants (WK11) during crucial points of the season. Havrisik accounted for 19 total points (4 FG, 7 XP) during that stretch, didn’t miss a field goal attempt, and canned the longest field goal a Packers’ kicker has ever hit. In the eyes of the fans, Havrisik was a bright spot for a position that’s plagued the Green Bay since 2022.
However, Havrisik still lacks relative experience as he played nine games for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, going 15-20 FG and 19-22 XP. He’s bounced around teams before finding a home in Green Bay, but he still hasn’t been forced into clutch situations or the pressure of the playoffs. He was also listed as the starting kicker on Green Bay’s depth chart prior to OTAs, but has since flipped to back-up behind Trey Smack now that the coaching staff is getting a good look at both players.
Trey Smack and an exciting change.
Since drafting Mason...
