Brian Gutekunst delivers candid assessment that explains the Packers’ patient approach with one rookie
The Packers are preaching patience with rookie kicker Trey Smack after unsuccessful recent experiences at the position.
The Green Bay Packers are ready to give rookie kicker Trey Smack more time to develop, and general manager Brian Gutekunst made that clear during his training camp press conference this past week.
Green Bay traded two seventh-round picks to move back into the sixth round and draft Smack, a controversial investment at a position where the Packers have cycled through options since parting ways with Mason Crosby.
The franchise’s kicking struggles have cost them dearly in the playoffs, and Gutekunst acknowledged both the urgency and the need for patience with his new kicker.
A turbulent history at the position
Since allowing Crosby to leave, the Packers have gone through several kickers. Green Bay drafted Anders Carlson in 2023, Brayden Narveson early in 2024, moved to Brandon McManus late in 2024, and had Lucas Havrisik fill in when McManus was unavailable last year. Other players competed for the job along the way, but none provided lasting stability.
The constant turnover made the position a persistent question mark, and the decision to draft Smack signals that Gutekunst believes he has found a long-term answer. The challenge, though, is that kickers don’t develop the way other positions do.
With quarterbacks and some other spots, teams can keep two or three players on the roster. The Packers kept Jordan Love behind Aaron Rodgers for three years before trading Rodgers to the New York Jets and handing Love the starting job. With kickers, teams carry one on the 53-man roster. There is no redshirt year. Smack will have to perform from Day 1 and absorb the natural ups and downs of being a rookie at a high-pressure position.
“I’d like to think that I’m going to have more patience than I’ve had,” Gutekunst said. “It’s interesting because the last [long-tenured] kicker we had here was obviously Mason [Crosby], who was really consistent for us in the regular season. We’ve actually been at a higher percentage than Mason was with all the different kickers we’ve had. It’s just the playoffs where we’ve really struggled, and obviously that’s important to me. That’s the most important thing, to be able to make those kinds of kicks.”
Those playoff struggles have been devastating. In the 2023 postseason, Anders Carlson missed multiple kicks against the San Francisco 49ers, including a 41-yarder late in the fourth quarter that cost the Packers the game. Last season against the Chicago Bears, McManus missed two field goals and an extra point. Green Bay lost 31-27, leaving seven points on the field because of missed kicks. Not even a veteran Super Bowl champion could not deliver when it mattered most.
Gutekunst also spoke about the threshold for when patience runs out. The general manager acknowledged that confidence in Smack does not mean blind faith.
“I’d like to have some patience here, but at the end of the day, with any player, if he’s costing us opportunities to win football games, we’re going to have to look at that again,” the GM added. “We have a lot of confidence in Trey in what he’s going to be able to do, but he is a rookie kicker and he’s got a lot to learn and a lot to earn before he gets there.”
The Packers are betting on Smack’s upside while recognizing that results will dictate the timeline.
Roster moves confirm the commitment
The Packers’ actions since the draft reinforce Gutekunst’s words. Green Bay released McManus after selecting Smack. This week, the team cut Havrisik, who played three games last season as the backup. The Packers briefly signed Lenny Krieg, a German kicker who could have been a practice squad option through the International Pathway Program, but released him to sign backup long snapper Cal Adomitis after Matthew Orzech suffered an injury. Krieg could return at some point, but he would serve as a backup option at best.
Every personnel decision points in the same direction. Smack is the Packers’ kicker, and the organization is structuring its roster around that reality.
