For two weeks last October, Green Bay Packers fans loved Lucas Havrisik. The former Rams kicker had stepped up, with regular starter Brandon McManus struggling as he attempted to play through injury.
The Packers have moved on from McManus, and newly drafted rookie kicker Trey Smack is the presumed favorite to win the roster spot. So, does Havrisik have any shot at winning the job?
If a team spends a draft pick on a kicker, everyone assumes he’ll be the starter. Teams aren’t drafting kickers just to add competition to the room. Take whatever happens at OTAs with a grain of salt. Still, you can’t ignore it entirely.
June 2 was a day to forget for Green Bay’s rookie kicker. Smack went five of nine on field-goal attempts, including two bad misses from 35 and 38 yards. A week later, Havrisik went a perfect eight for eight, including attempts of 53 and 58 yards.
Sure, Havrisik made his kicks indoors, with no weather conditions at play. Still, it was good enough to make one wonder if he has a chance to upset the upstart.
Smack didn’t sound like a rookie when he spoke after his abysmal day in early June. He owned it and seemed ready to move on.
I think it’s practice for a reason. Everyone’s not perfect, so you’re going to miss some, you’re going to make some. The wind wasn’t really that big of a problem. It’s like, what I have to do to make the kick. So, the wind’s always going to be there, and I just got to make the kick.
He responded one week later, at the next OTA open to the media, by connecting on seven of eight attempts.
Havrisik has a shot, but it would take a stellar summer from him and a meltdown from Smack.
Look at the Anders Carlson situation.
Green Bay selected Carlson in the sixth round in 2023. Carlson was inconsistent at Auburn and carried that trend into his first offseason with the Packers. Despite his highs and lows during camp, the Packers stuck by him.
Carlson led the league in missed kicks as a rookie. Still, Green Bay gave him a shot the following offseason. After delivering another dud, the Packers cut ties before the start of the 2024 campaign.
Kicking can be a brutal mind game when adversity hits. Smack seems to be taking an even-keeled approach to his gig, which could pay off in the long run.
“It’s just kind of having a routine, and if you stick to that routine, it’s going to be the same every time,” Smack said. “You’ve got to be confident of who you are. It’s just your process, and how you deal with it.”
Green Bay hasn’t been able to settle on a kicker since stalwart Mason Crosby‘s heyday. No team wants that at any position, much less one that can easily swing a game either way. If the Packers had things their way, Smack will be the long-term solution.
So does Havrisik have a shot? Sure. Still, that’s not the ideal outcome in Green Bay. The Packers will give Smack grace at every turn, especially as a rookie, to prove to the organization that he’s the answer. Their checkered recent history, particularly with Carlson, shows that a change is possible, but not on any timeline that favors Havrisik.
