Packers Coach Matt LaFleur Might Be Praying About Kicking Woes Once Again

Aug 04, 2026 11:50 PM - 1 hour ago 3

Green Bay Packers caput coach Matt LaFleur nary longer has officials signaling if section extremity attempts are successful during his team’s practices.

The reason?

“I conscionable emotion making you guys uncomfortable,” LaFleur said referring to the media.

No 1 should beryllium much uncomfortable than the caput coach himself, though.

From 1989-2022, the trio of Chris Jacke, Ryan Longwell and Mason Crosby gave the Packers immoderate of the astir reliable kicking successful football. The past 3 ½ years, though, has mostly been a mess.

During the 2023 playoffs, FOX newsman Tom Rinaldi said on-air that LaFleur told him regarding rookie kicker Anders Carlson, “When he goes retired there, I conscionable pray.”

After Carlson officially flamed out, Brayden Narveson grounded miserably. And aft the Packers sewage a tremendous play from Brandon McManus successful 2024, the seasoned took a awesome measurement backmost successful 2025.

So Green Bay selected Trey Smack successful the sixth information of April’s draft, past waived some McManus and holdover Lucas Havrisik.

Today, Smack is the only kicker successful camp.

And the measurement things person started, LaFleur mightiness beryllium saying the afloat rosary again successful 2026.

Smack is conscionable 8-of-13 connected section goals done the first 2 days of training campy — an unsightly 61.5%. Smack was 5-of-8 connected a gorgeous, 75-degree Monday aft going 3-of-5 during a blustery believe Sunday.

“I conscionable deliberation it’s going to beryllium a activity successful progress,” LaFleur said regarding Smack. “This is not our first clip pinch a rookie kicker, truthful I cognize that there’s going to beryllium immoderate good, and past I cognize there’s going to beryllium immoderate that he’s going to want to person back. I deliberation that’s each portion of the learning process.”

LaFleur, who began coaching Green Bay successful 2019, enjoyed 4 years of reliability from Crosby, who made 85.4% of his section goals successful that time. The Packers fto their franchise profession scoring leader spell aft the 2022 campaign, though, and it’s led to a revolving doorway astatine the kicking position.

Carlson missed much other points (six) and much full kicks (13) than anyone successful shot successful 2023. He besides missed astatine slightest 1 footwear successful his last 5 games and 10 of his past 12 contests.

Carlson had a chance to springiness Green Bay a 24-17 lead complete San Francisco successful the 2023 NFC divisional playoffs, but missed a 41-yard section extremity pinch conscionable much than 5 minutes left. The 49ers past drove and won the game, 24-21.

Narveson won the occupation successful 2024, past began the twelvemonth 12-of-17 and classed 31st successful the NFL successful section extremity percent (70.6%) erstwhile Green Bay released him successful mid-October.

The Packers turned to seasoned Brandon McManus, who was sensational the remainder of 2024. McManus made 20-of-21 section goals that season, drilled each 30 of his other points and had game-winning section goals against Houston and Jacksonville that year.

McManus missed 3 games pinch injuries past year. In his stead, Lucas Havrisik made each 4 of his section goals — including a franchise grounds 61-yarder — but was conscionable 7-of-9 connected other points.

McManus returned and vanished the twelvemonth 24-of-30 connected section goals (80.0%) and 32-of-33 connected other points (97.0%). But McManus near 7 points disconnected the committee — missing 2 section goals and an other constituent — successful a 31-27 Wild Card nonaccomplishment to Chicago.

“Biggest disappointment successful my career,” McManus said that night. “Just an embarrassment of a performance.”

The Packers traded a brace of seventh information picks for a sixth and drafted Smack successful April, released McManus 13 days later, and besides released Havrisik connected July 28. That’s near Smack pinch nary in-house title connected a regular basis.

“I deliberation he’s sewage plentifulness of unit connected him conscionable connected a time to day,” LaFleur said. “I mean that’s why we’re talking astir this for truthful long, right? Because there’s a batch of liking and there’s going to beryllium unit nary matter what position you play successful this league. That’s conscionable the quality of our league, but I’m assured that he will activity his measurement done it.”

Smack has deleted each societal media isolated from Instagram to effort removing the extracurricular noise. And LaFleur mightiness beryllium trying to protect Smack by removing officials erstwhile section goals are being attempted.

Pretty soon the existent games will arrive, though.

So will the officials.

Then, we’ll spot if LaFleur is praying erstwhile again.