Packers officially give up on Brayden Narveson by signing veteran kicker
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said he didn't expect the team to make a move at kicker this week, but he didn't sound convincing with his answer.
One day later, the Packers have signed Brayden Narveson's replacement.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, the Packers are signing veteran kicker Brandon McManus to a one-year contract. He will replace Narveson for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans.
McManus is an experienced and talented kicker, but the Washington Commanders released him in June after the NFL opened an investigation over sexual assault allegations. According to ESPN, the league recently determined that there was "insufficient evidence to support a finding that a violation of the personal conduct policy occurred."
The Packers have signed the veteran kicker to a one-year deal.
Packers sign Brayden Narveson's replacement by turning to veteran Brandon McManus
The Packers needed to make a change at kicker. After rolling with rookies since the start of last season, general manager Brian Gutekunst has decided to sign an experienced kicker.
Green Bay hosted McManus for a workout on Tuesday before signing him to a one-year deal.
His career numbers suggest he will give the Packers a significant upgrade over Narveson, who has missed a league-high five field goals this year.
Brandon McManus vs. Brayden Narveson career comparison
Player | Career Games | Field Goal % | Extra Point % |
|---|---|---|---|
Brandon McManus | 161 | 81.4 | 97.2 |
Brayden Narveson | 6 | 70.6 | 100.0 |
McManus has been in the league for a decade and offers far more experience than Narveson. He has a good, although not great, field goal percentage of 81.4. While his record beyond 50 yards is just OK, McManus is a reliable kicker on kicks below that, hitting 90.8 percent of field goals within 50 yards—he has converted 208 of 229 attempts.
It's why the Packers needed to replace Narveson, who has struggled with kicks beyond 40 yards, only converting five of nine. He never even attempted a kick beyond 50 yards, which is where most kickers see their overall percentage take a hit.
The Packers had to do something. They couldn't just wait patiently and hope that Narveson corrected his accuracy—he continued to push his kicks wide-right without any sign of improvement. With huge games against the Texans, Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears coming up, Green Bay can't afford to lose because of inconsistent kicking.
After going with rookie Anders Carlson last year and Narveson this season, the Packers have changed their approach and opted for experience. They hope McManus can finally provide consistency in the kicking game.
More Packers news and analysis
feed