Green Bay’s special teams picture needed clarity, and it arrived with a firm voice. After a week of NFL rumors, Matt LaFleur said Brandon McManus, not Lucas Havrisik, will handle kicks in Week 10 against the Eagles.
Havrisik’s brief run featured a perfect ledger and a franchise-record 61-yarder, while McManus has missed three of seven attempts since returning from injury, including a costly 43-yarder versus Carolina.
Even so, LaFleur reiterated confidence in the veteran and downplayed any notion of an open competition, per Rob Demovsky.
What’s drawing fresh attention around Green Bay isn’t just the kicker call; it’s the league-wide debate the Packers were asked to front. Multiple NFL front office sources told ESPN the league office essentially recruited Green Bay to formally submit the tush push ban proposal, with one NFC executive adding the Packers were tapped because they lack a single owner who might balk, given their public shareholder structure.
An NFL spokesperson declined to comment on the league’s involvement. Then-president Mark Murphy neither confirmed nor denied it at the time, saying only, “We’re always in touch with the league.” That backdrop adds a twist to Monday night’s matchup with Philadelphia, the play’s standard-bearer.
From a football standpoint, Green Bay’s calculus is simple. Stabilize special teams, shorten the field for Jordan Love, and keep the defense out of sudden-change binds, especially against an Eagles team built to win short yardage.
The kicker decision signals trust in experience for a prime-time stage, even if Havrisik’s form tempted a different path. It also underscores how thin the margins are when opponents can bully forward for a yard on command.
Post-deadline roster building still hovers over the week. One path forward has been floated loudly: target a proven cover man to patch the back end. The argument centers on signing Asante Samuel Jr. to fortify a cornerback room thinned by injuries and inconsistency.
Asante's Samuel Jr versatility inside and outside fits Green Bay’s needs as a potential trade, and his ball skills would complement a front enhanced by recent investments. If the offense trades threes for sevens and the defense steals an extra possession, January ambitions stay intact.
The conversation may have started with kicks and scrums, but it ends where most seasons do, with situational execution. Convert, contain, and make the high-leverage plays that define a contender’s spine.
