Seems like not so long ago that the Packers‘ problem was a wealth of kickers. They had trusted veteran Brandon McManus on hand, who had come in during a rocky stretch in the kicking game in 2024 and settled the situation quickly. When McManus went out with a quad injury, the team turned to Lucas Havrisik, who was a perfect four-for-four on field goal tries and six-for-six on extra points.
For good measure, Havrisik made a franchise-record 61-yard kick against the Cardinals.
But when McManus returned, Havrisik was bumped back on the depth chart, and the Packers remain one of the few teams with two kickers on the roster. The problem is that the lead kicker, McManus, has not been very good since coming back from injury.
He missed kicks of 44 and 57 yards in his return against Pittsburgh. He missed a 43-yarder against Carolina the following week, in what was a 3-point loss. On Monday, he uncorked a no-chance 64-yarder to end the 10-7 loss to the Eagles, a kick that would have been a shank into the woods at any municipal golf course.
Packers Have 2 Kickers Currently
The Packers are sticking with McManus, despite having Havrisik. But at CBS Sports, there is speculation that the Packers could simply blow up the whole kicking room as it is and make a decidedly controversial move: sign Justin Tucker, the former Ravens All-Pro who was suspended 10 games for personal conduct violations.
The violations were fairly repulsive. In the Baltimore Banner, Tucker was accused by 16 different massage therapists in Baltimore of sexual misconduct, and was let go by the Ravens amid an outcry.
But as we see so often in pro sports, icky personal behavior is easily overlooked if there is talent involved, and Tucker is a five-time All-Pro who was on his way to a sure-fire spot in the Hall of Fame before his suspension. So … maybe the Packers would bring him in?
GettyBrandon McManus of the Packers
Justin Tucker a Desperation Addition
That would go against the Packers’ past approach to bringing in players who would bring PR negatives to town. With Havrisik on board, too, it would be hard to see the Packers making such a move. But Tucker can kick.
Writes CBS: “If the Packers are uncomfortable with their kicking options, it might be worth giving Tucker a call and inviting him in for a tryout. This is a Super Bowl-contending team and the Packers need a kicker they can trust. Yes, they just gave McManus a big extension, but if they can’t trust him, then they should certainly think about kicking the tires on Tucker.”
The bet here is that the Packers would be more uncomfortable adding Tucker than they are with the McManus situation. Besides, there are other teams more desperate for kicking help than Green Bay. But the Tucker possibility is, at least, out there.
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