The Green Bay Packers’ kicker room has undergone significant changes this offseason. The team drafted Trey Smack in April before releasing Brandon McManus just two weeks later. However, they won’t hand Smack the position without competition. The Packers have Lucas Havrisik under contract, and he will have an opportunity to challenge for the starting role throughout training camp and the preseason.
Green Bay should come out of preseason in good shape at kicker. Both players have shown they are talented. Smack entered the draft as one of the most reliable kickers in college football after putting together three strong seasons at Florida.
He made 53 of his 64 field-goal attempts, finishing with an 82.8% success rate, while consistently showing he had the leg for long-distance kicks. He connected on 10 of his 13 attempts from 50 yards or more and made at least 80% of his field goals in every season with the Gators.
“We liked him quite a bit, and we think he has a good chance to be a good kicker in the National Football League,” Brian Gutelunst said of Smack following the draft.
While the 2026 sixth-round pick had some inconsistencies early in the offseason program, this is the best time for those growing pains to happen. Whether fans like it or not, every rookie goes through a learning curve, and kickers are no exception.
Havrisik brings a more experienced profile to the competition. Before signing with Green Bay last year, he spent time with the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, and the Arlington Renegades of the UFL. He got off to a perfect start with the Packers, going six for six on extra points and four for four on field goals, including a franchise-record 61-yard kick. He finished the 2025 season seven for nine on extra points while remaining four for four on field goals.
One of the coolest parts of Havrisik’s journey is how quickly everything changed. Just two weeks before signing with the Packers, he was back home in Cleveland looking for a part-time job because he was tired of sitting around without work. He was even considering returning to substitute teaching, something he had done before.
Not long after, he found himself in a completely different situation. In front of a packed Lambeau Field, Havrisik drilled a 39-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter to put the Packers in control against the Cincinnati Bengals. Earlier in the game, he had already connected from 43 yards and converted all three of his extra points.
“It’s of course strange, but I try to do my best to adapt to the situation,” Havrisik said after the game via The Athletic. “I’ve had a lot of workouts in the NFL. … I’m a little fried, mentally, I guess. I treat it as, this is your job and be prepared as best as possible and be ready for sudden change, so yeah, it’s crazy, though.”
So, the Packers have two kickers who have already shown they can produce. That should make this one of the more interesting position battles to watch this summer. If everything unfolds as expected, Trey Smack should ultimately win the job, but it won’t come easy. Still, Lucas Havrisik has proven he can step in and perform, so both kickers will have to earn the role all the way through training camp and the preseason.
