The Green Bay Packers have a new kicker. Again. On Tuesday night, the team signed veteran Brandon McManus and waived rookie Brayden Narveson after six games. The pieces of news have been reported by ESPN and NFL Network.
Brandon McManus is 33 years old and has been a successful NFL kicker. He’s been in the league since 2013, playing for the Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Washington Commanders. His biggest and most expressive stint was with the Broncos, for whom he played from 2014 to 2022.
Packers are signing former Jaguars veteran kicker Brandon McManus to a one-year deal, per source. McManus is expected be kicking for them Sunday vs. the Texans. pic.twitter.com/P321nUXr5l
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 15, 2024
The risk is because McManus recently had an off-the-field issue. Two flight attendants sued him alleging that he sexually assaulted them during a flight from Jacksonville to London in 2023, when he was a member of the Jaguars. Because of the case, the Commanders released him back in June. The kicker denied the allegations.
The NFL investigated the claims and announced later that there was “insufficient evidence to support a finding that a violation of the personal conduct policy” had happened. Since that announcement, he’s been available to sign and play.
Veteran kicker Brandon McManus is signing with the #Packers, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo.
The team is releasing Brayden Narveson, who has missed 5 of 17 field-goal attempts. Green Bay’s kicker carousel spins again — and they hope it stops with McManus. pic.twitter.com/vZ31fsBqUm
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 15, 2024
Throughout his NFL career, McManus has converted 253 of 311 field goals (81.4%), including 208 of 229 (90.8%) from 49 yards or less. He has also converted 312 of 321 (97.2%) of his extra point attempts.
Kicking situation
The Packers have had issues finding a kicker lately. After late-career struggles by Mason Crosby, Green Bay let him walk after the 2022 season. They drafted Anders Carlson in the sixth round in 2023, but he had a rough rookie year.
This season, the Packers have signed a plethora of different kickers — Greg Joseph, James Turner, and Alex Hale. All of them failed to a certain degree.
Turner was waived during training camp, Carlson got cut before the initial 53-man roster construction, and Joseph spent one day on the regular season roster. The Packers claimed Brayden Narverson off waivers from the Tennessee Titans and put Alex Hale on the practice squad as a member of the International Pathway Program.
Through six weeks in Green Bay, Narveson was one of the most inaccurate kickers in the entire NFL. He missed kicks in four of his six games, converting only 12 of 17 field goals (70.6%), including only five of nine from 40+ yards. He converted every extra point attempt, but that wasn’t enough.
On Sunday, after the win over the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Matt LaFleur said he trusted Narveson, but the tone changed on Monday — an indication that the Packers front office was not happy with the situation.
Now, a day later, the Packers have a new kicker. And the experiences with young players at the position are over.
Wendell is a journalist who has been a Green Bay Packers and NFL writer at A to Z Sports since October 2023 and the AFC East Division Editor since July 2024, with a special interest in roster-building processes and salary cap topics. He had previous experiences covering the Packers for Zone Coverage and Cheesehead TV.