IMAGE: Green Bay Packers kicker Lucas Havrisik (35) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. / Mark J. Rebilas / Imagn Images
The Packers are doing some roster reshuffling, and on Friday, they brought back kicker Lucas Havrisik-this time to the practice squad. It’s a move that raises a few eyebrows, not because of Havrisik’s performance, but because of how Green Bay is managing its depth chart heading into a critical stretch of the season.
Earlier this week, Havrisik was waived to make room for wide receiver Will Sheppard, who was elevated to the 53-man roster ahead of the Thanksgiving Day showdown with the Detroit Lions. Sheppard didn’t see the field-offensively or on special teams-but his presence was more about emergency depth. With Jayden Reed still on injured reserve and both Matthew Golden and Savion Williams sidelined, the Packers needed insurance at wideout.
Now that Thanksgiving is in the rearview and the Packers are heading into a mini-bye before their December 7th matchup against the Bears, the roster picture is starting to clear up. Reed is expected to return soon, and there’s optimism that both Golden and Williams will be healthy by then. That means Sheppard’s window on the 53-man roster might be closing, which could open up another spot for Green Bay to work with.
One potential move? Placing defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt on injured reserve.
Wyatt went down against the Lions with what’s now being reported as a fractured ankle. There’s also concern about ligament damage, which would likely sideline him for an extended period.
If that happens, Reed could slide into that roster spot when he’s activated.
That brings us back to Havrisik. The decision to bring him back to the practice squad-not the 53-man roster-is telling.
Green Bay could’ve easily reversed course: place Sheppard back on the practice squad and elevate Havrisik to the active roster. But they didn’t.
That suggests the team is leaning into Brandon McManus as their kicker going forward, despite his recent inconsistencies.
Havrisik’s 2025 campaign has been a bit of a rollercoaster. He’s perfect on field goals-4-for-4-including a franchise-record 61-yarder against Arizona. But his last outing featured two missed extra points against the Giants, and in a league where every point counts, that’s not going to sit well.
McManus, meanwhile, has been battling through a quad injury and hasn’t looked like the near-automatic version of himself from last season. Still, the Packers gave him a three-year deal this offseason, and that investment seems to be buying him some leeway.
As for the practice squad, Sheppard’s promotion opened up a spot, so the Packers didn’t need to make a corresponding move to bring Havrisik back. But if Sheppard is sent back down in the near future, the team will need to clear space again-unless someone else gets promoted to the 53-man roster.
Last week, linebacker Jamon Johnson and defensive back Jaylin Simpson were both called up for the game against Detroit. Neither played a snap on defense or special teams, though Johnson was active and contributed on special teams in a limited role. That was largely due to Isaiah McDuffie stepping into the starting Mike linebacker spot in place of the injured Quay Walker, which pulled McDuffie away from his usual special teams duties.
So, what does all this mean? It’s classic late-season roster maneuvering.
The Packers are trying to keep their options open while navigating injuries and evaluating performance. Havrisik’s back in the building, but for now, McManus is still the guy.
And with reinforcements on the way at wide receiver, Green Bay’s depth could look a lot different by the time they take the field against Chicago.
