Packers' Matt LaFleur Gets Brutally Honest on Kicker Trey Smack

The Green Bay Packers made some major changes to their special teams unit after having another season full of issues.

Green Bay brought in a new special teams coordinator, Cam Achord, after Rich Bisaccia stepped away from his role. The Packers also released kicker Brandon McManus and drafted Trey Smack in the sixth round of the draft.

Smack had a quality career with the Florida Gators, making 53 of 64 field goal attempts along with 100 of 101 extra point attempts. 

He has the potential to be an upgrade over McManus, who struggled in the 2025 season, making 24 of 30 field goal attempts and 32 of 33 extra point attempts. McManus also struggled in the postseason as he missed both field goal attempts and an extra point in the Packers' four-point loss to the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card Game.

While the team made other mistakes in their playoff loss to the Bears, McManus's missed attempts were a major factor.

While Smack may not be perfect in his rookie season, McManus' struggles leave plenty of room for improvement at the position for Green Bay.

"Gonna be a work in progress," head coach Matt LaFleur said about Smack. "This is not our first time with a rookie kicker. I know there’s gonna be some good and some he wants back."

The Packers had a rookie kicker in the 2023 season, Anders Carlson, who made 27 of 33 field goal attempts and 34 of 39 extra point attempts. Carlson went on to struggle in the postseason, which didn't help Green Bay's efforts in the Divisional Round, where they fell to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Packers have had plenty of special teams mishaps over the years and are looking to turn the unit around with the additions of Achord and Smack.

Green Bay has a talented roster capable of competing for a Super Bowl in the 2026 season, but special teams often decide close playoff games, which means Smack will play a pivotal role in how far the Packers advance.