Green Bay Faces an Unwanted Twist as a Veteran’s Injury Forces Questions About How They’ll Handle the Bengals
The Green Bay Packers have an extra concern before the Cincinnati Bengals game on Sunday. Kicker Brandon McManus popped up on the injury report with a quad injury, and head coach Matt LaFleur indicated the situation is a “major concern” for the Packers.
“Yeah, that’s a major concern right now, so we’ll see how he’s doing today [Thursday] and tomorrow [Friday],” head coach Matt LaFleur before practice. “And then we’ll have a plan ready to go.”
Have the Kansas City Chiefs lost their GREATEST superpower in 2025?Have the Kansas City Chiefs lost their GREATEST superpower in 2025?
LaFleur said that the injury has nothing to do with the tackles the kicker had to make over the past few games. If McManus can’t play, the Packers have different options. The most natural one would be elevating Mark McNamee from the practice squad.
The problem is that the Irish kicker has never played a real football game in his life. A member of the International Pathway Program, McNamee used to play Gaelic football. He started a career transition two years ago and signed with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League back in April.
After two CFL preseason games, he was released in order to sign with the Packers. He played the preseason in Green Bay, but was waived and brought back to the practice squad with a roster exemption.
McNamee was signed after former IPP player Alex Hale, who had more football experience, got hurt early in training camp. In the preseason, McNamee played against the Indianapolis Colts. He converted two of three extra points and one of two field goal attempts — certainly not the consistency the Packers would prefer for a regular season game.
Alternatives
If the Packers want to go with a more experienced player, there are some options on the free agent market. The list includes some former Packers, like Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph. Austin Seibert, Zane Gonzalez, and Cade York are also available.
The Packers could sign any of them to the practice squad and elevate him for gameday to avoid spending a 53-man roster spot, considering it’s not a long-term injury for McManus.
Veteran presence
Brandon McManus has been a solid piece of the roster since he arrived in Green Bay during last season to stabilize a position that had suffered after moving on from veteran Mason Crosby.
In 2024, he converted 20 of 21 field goals and all 30 extra points in 11 games for the Packers. This year, he has converted seven of nine field goals and 11 of 12 extra points, but two of those three misses were actually blocked kicks. Back in the offseason, the Packers gave McManus a three-year, $15.3 million extension to keep him around through 2027.
