GREEN BAY – The Packers have brought in a new kicker, and veteran Brandon McManus is thankful for another chance and a fresh start.
Green Bay moved on Wednesday from rookie Brayden Narveson, who had missed five field goals in six games this season, and signed McManus, who spent nine years with the Broncos from 2014-22 and one with the Jaguars last season.
Over the past several months, McManus has been dealing with a civil lawsuit that also led to an NFL investigation.
Two weeks ago, the NFL found insufficient evidence to discipline McManus under the league's personal conduct policy. On Wednesday, McManus also indicated the lawsuit has been "resolved," without going into details.
"It's been a difficult time these last couple of months," McManus said following Wednesday's practice. "I'm happy that it's in the past now. I was hoping and working hard for another opportunity. I'm extremely grateful for the Green Bay Packers for giving me that next chance to come back out here and play the game I love."
General Manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers "leaned on" the NFL's investigation in reaching the decision to sign McManus. He also spoke with McManus directly when he came to Green Bay for a workout Tuesday, calling it a "really good conversation."
"We feel very good about (the league's) investigation and what they got out of it to make us comfortable at this point," Gutekunst said. "We wanted to make sure that we did our due diligence. Again, we feel really good about where we sit right now. We're excited to get him out there."
The Packers are looking for consistency and reliability at the kicker position after not getting it from either rookie Anders Carlson last season or Narveson so far in 2024.
Carlson missed six field goals and five extra points last season prior to a critical fourth-quarter miss in the playoff loss at San Francisco. He was released at the end of training camp this summer in favor of Narveson, a waiver claim from Tennessee who was 12-of-17 on field goals, all inside 50 yards with all five misses of the same variety – wide right (or off the right upright) from the left hash.
After sticking with Carlson throughout last season, Gutekunst was quicker to make a move this year with the Packers off to a 4-2 start and battling in a loaded NFC North.
"Where our football team is at right now, we know how important these games are," Gutekunst said. "If we had an opportunity to get a veteran kicker who'd been through some of these fires and some of this pressure that our team is going to go through over the next few weeks, I thought it was important that we acquire one. And really Brandon was the only one that was out there."
Gutekunst acknowledged the off-field issue was likely the only reason a kicker with McManus' track record was available. For his career, he's made 81.4% of his field goals, with that percentage jumping up to 90.8% from inside 50 yards. He's also missed just nine PATs over his decade-long career, or roughly one per season on average.
"Obviously a very experienced kicker," Gutekunst said of McManus. "He's been in very high-pressure situations and kicked a long time in weather, an outdoor stadium. So he just has a lot of experience, very talented, very gifted, very strong leg. He's been in the fire and he's had the ups and downs that all kickers go through and been able to come out the other side."
With the Green Bay weather about to turn, making conditions more difficult as the season goes along, McManus' experience will certainly help the Packers feel better about their kicking game.
"This is the National Football League," Head Coach Matt LaFleur said. "You expect whoever you send out there to go out there and make the kicks."
McManus pointed to his own early-career struggle to stick with the Broncos, who traded for him, demoted him and then restored his full-time status a little less than a decade ago, as part of what forged his successful career.
"Every single day you need to prove yourself," he said. "It's such a black-and-white position that you've got to stay focused every single time you go out. Every single kick has the utmost importance."
After last season, Jacksonville did not bring McManus back and he signed with Washington, who released him in the spring when the lawsuit was filed. Since then he's been working out on his own at home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., including kicking at a light post to work on his accuracy when a field with uprights wasn't available.
"I'm excited to be here," he said. "I've been working my butt off to get another opportunity to get back in."
