When the Green Bay Packers left the field at Lincoln Financial Field last January, their playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles crystallized a glaring weakness: the kicking game demanded urgent improvement. Three missed field goals in that loss, two from 40 yards or closer, underscored this need, prompting general manager Brian Gutekunst to seek solutions in the offseason. Veteran kicker Brandon McManus, who had been reliable during the regular season, missed two critical attempts in that game, opening the door wide for a competitive kicking contest this spring under new special teams coordinator Cam Achord.
Fast forward to May 2026, and the Packers have methodically begun reshaping their special teams. Cam Achord, hired in late February as the team's new special teams coordinator, recently sat down with Packers News for his first in-depth interview. His message was clear: the kicking competition would be fierce, and that competition is exactly what the team needs.
"It's going to be a real battle," Achord said. "And I think that's exactly what this group needs."
The Three Contenders for the Kicking Job
The Packers currently carry three kickers on their offseason 90-man roster: veteran Brandon McManus, Lucas Havrisik, and rookie Trey Smack. McManus, the oldest and most experienced of the trio, has an extensive NFL résumé spanning stints with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders before joining Green Bay midway through the 2025 season. He converted 11 of 14 field goals for the Packers last season, including a clutch game-winner versus the San Francisco 49ers, but the playoff misses against the Eagles remain a fresh memory.
Lucas Havrisik entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Arizona in 2023. Since then, he has had short spells with the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and Los Angeles Rams, where he connected on 11 of 15 field goals during the 2023 season before being released midyear. The Packers signed Havrisik to a futures contract this past January, and he has been working diligently on his consistency during spring practices.
Rookie Trey Smack brings youth and a powerful leg to the mix. Undrafted out of the University of Florida in April 2026, Smack boasts college experience kicking in high-pressure situations with the Gators. He finished his collegiate career having hit 18 of 22 field goals last season, including a career-long 54-yarder against LSU.
"Each guy brings something a little different," Achord noted. "Brandon has the experience; he's been in big games. Lucas has a really strong leg and has been working on speeding up his operation. Trey is young, hungry, and very talented. It's on us as coaches to put them in positions to show what they can do."
The Stakes Behind the Spotlight
Kicking competitions during OTA workouts in May may not draw much fanfare--there are no pads, no crowds, and the weather is mild compared to a Lambeau Field December night. But for Achord, starting this battle early is essential because the margin for error in Green Bay remains slim.
The Packers enter 2026 as legitimate contenders. Jordan Love is entrenched as the franchise quarterback, with Josh Jacobs leading the backfield. Their receiving corps--anchored by Jayden Reed and Christian Watson--possesses the speed to stretch defenses. On defense, stars like Micah Parsons and Xavier McKinney anchor a unit designed to force turnovers and return the ball to the offense. Still, none of those strengths matter if the kicking game cannot deliver when it counts.
"You can have the best offense in the league," Achord explained, "but if you're settling for field goals and you don't trust that operation, it changes everything. Play-calling, clock management, decisions on fourth down--all of that depends on how much confidence you have in your kicker."
What Makes a Great Kicker?
Achord emphasized that kicking success is about more than raw leg strength or accuracy. For him, routine is the hallmark of elite kickers.
"The really good ones, you can set a clock by them," he said. "They have a pre-snap routine, mental checkpoints, and consistent follow-through. It doesn't matter if it's a 25-yard kick during a walkthrough or a 52-yard field goal in the clutch of the fourth quarter. The consistency of the process tells you all you need to know."
This focus on routine is crucial for the Packers, who have struggled with kicking consistency since Mason Crosby's departure after the 2022 season. After Crosby left, Green Bay cycled through Anders Carlson, Roman Bratek, and several veterans without finding stability. Carlson notably missed four field goals and three extra points in his rookie year, while Bratek's tenure was brief.
Achord, who joined Green Bay after coaching special teams with the New England Patriots, is well aware of the Packers' kicking woes and the urgency to fix them.
"I don't look at the past as a burden," Achord said. "I look at it as information. We know what hasn't worked. Now we get to build something that will."
The Road to the 53-Man Roster
The Packers open their 2026 regular season at Lambeau Field against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, September 13. That gives Achord and his staff about four months to identify a starting kicker.
Training camp will bring padded practices and live-game repetitions. Preseason games at the end of August will offer the closest feel to actual game pressure. According to Achord, the Packers intend to rotate kickers through varied situations during preseason, especially focusing on kicks in the final two minutes of halves and conditions designed to replicate Lambeau Field late-season weather.
"You can't simulate a Green Bay snow game in August," Achord said with a smile. "But you can simulate the pressure of a game-winning kick. We'll do that. We'll make it as real as possible."
While the team will likely keep only one kicker on the 53-man roster, a practice squad designation for the runner-up is possible, particularly if that player is a young developmental prospect like Smack. However, Gutekunst's philosophy remains clear: kickers earn their spot based on results, not potential.
The X-Factor: Mental Fortitude and Resilience
Achord's discussion of kicking wasn't limited to physical execution; he underscored the mental demands of the position.
"We'll have days in camp where a guy misses multiple kicks in a row," Achord said. "I want to see how he responds. Does he withdraw, or does he reset and nail the next kick from 48 yards? That mental reset matters more than any workout stat."
For McManus, who at 35 is the veteran in the room with a Super Bowl ring from his Denver Broncos tenure, this mental toughness will be critically tested. He knows both the pressure and the disappointment of playoff misses. If he channels that experience into a calm, professional camp, his veteran savvy could give him the edge. But if early struggles arise, the door opens wider for Havrisik's strong leg or Smack's dynamic upside.
"It's the most underrated position in football," Achord said. "No one notices a kicker until something goes wrong. But when a team wins a championship, there's almost always a kick that made it possible. That's what we're chasing."
Looking Toward the Future
The Packers enter the 2026 season with real playoff aspirations in a competitive NFC North. The Detroit Lions have been division champions for two straight years, and the Chicago Bears have started showing signs of resurgence. Yet, Green Bay's roster is deep, balanced, and built to compete in January.
What remains to be solved is the crucial position that arguably cost them last January: the kicker.
Under Cam Achord's watchful eye, the kicking competition this offseason signals a renewed seriousness around Green Bay's special teams unit, reflecting an understanding that special teams performance can be the difference between postseason glory and another disappointing end.
As the three kickers align one by one in the quiet spring workouts, with the net ready and the stakes high, the Packers begin to lay the foundation for what could be a deep playoff run--one field goal at a time.