The Green Bay Packers made Trey Smack the only kicker taken in the 2026 NFL Draft by trading up to get him in the sixth round. That distinction brings with it a share of pressure in itself. Then the team waived veteran Brandon McManus, setting up a risky gambit: Smack as the starter or bust. His struggles in OTAs and minicamp haven't helped ease his burden.
Of course, Lucas Havrisik is still on the roster for insurance, but the Packers opted for a hurt, inefficient McManus at the end of last season rather than stick with Havrisik. You don't burn a draft pick on a kicker to be a backup.
On top of it all, Smack isn't merely being asked to replace McManus' 2025 self. The Packers need a good bit more. What it boils down to is this: they need Smack to restore the kicking game to the stability it hasn't had since Mason Crosby walked out the door.
Packers have tasked Trey Smack with filling Mason Crosby's legendary shadow
McManus did the job in 2024, going 20 for 21 on fields before the wheels fell off last season. Packers fans don't need to relive his woes.
What Green Bay needs is the long-term peace of mind it has sought since Father Time caught up with Crosby, leading to his departure after the 2022 season. Smack's situation is eerily similar to that of Anders Carlson, brought in to replace Crosby as the 207th overall pick in 2023. The Packers traded both their 2026 seventh-rounders to take Smack at No. 216 as the designated successor for McManus.
Green Bay is hoping for different results. Carlson lasted only one season with the Packers, bounced around in 2024, and failed to find a home at all in 2025.
The organization isn't asking Smack to be the next Crosby, but they also need him to be more than just okay. Kicking miscues have cost the Packers too many games in recent years to settle for mediocrity. Fans deserve to feel some kind of security when Matt LaFleur calls out the field-goal unit.
Lumping all that pressure on a rookie's plate isn't altogether fair. While drafting kickers is for most teams a practice of the past, it's understandable why the Packers called Smack's name. He had a strong career at Florida and made kicks of 54-plus yards in each of his three seasons, including a 56-yarder last year. He only missed three of 13 50-plus-yard attempts in his career.
Unfortunately, he has been inconsistent at best thus far in a Packers uniform. He has plenty of time to find his footing - all of training camp and the preseason - but when 'plenty of time' constitutes two months until the season starts, patience gets thrown out with the bathwater.
There's a reason fans held their breath awaiting daily updates during OTAs. Smack is just that important to the Packers' hopes this season. Kicking was an asset, not an agony, during Crosby's prime. Asking Smack to reinstate that reality is a tall order, and the pressure to deliver will only grow until he eases the justified concerns.
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