Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst confirmed he wants veteran kicker Brandon McManus back in Green Bay in 2025.
McManus, who turns 34 in July, will become an unrestricted free agent when his contract expires in March.
During Thursday’s season-ending press conference, Gutekunst made no secret of his desire to re-sign the veteran specialist after fixing the team’s persistent kicker problem in the post-Mason Crosby era.
“We would love to,” Gutekunst replied when asked if the Packers wanted McManus back next year. “I had a good conversation with him before I left. Of course, as he solidified the journey (in kicker) that we were on. He’s an experienced guy. What was so enjoyable about being around him was not only his confidence, but also his ability to adapt to situations wherever we were and whatever the weather was.
Signing a one-year contract on October 15, McManus made 20 of 21 field goals and scored all 30 extra points for the Packers during the regular season. He missed a 38-yard field goal in Sunday’s postseason loss at Philadelphia.
Despite the disappointing ending, McManus still made two game-winning field goals and connected on all three of his kicks for more than 50 yards, including a decisive 55-yard kick in freezing temperatures at Lambeau Field in the season finale.
Gutekunst said he would have confidence in the specialist group if McManus returns with player Daniel Whelan in 2025.
“If we could get Brandon back, I would feel very, very good about this group,” Gutekunst said.
McManus has completed a wild run at kicker for the Packers over the past two seasons. Anders Carlson, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023, replaced Crosby, the team’s all-time leader in field goals and points. However, Carlson struggled as a rookie and missed a key postseason kick, so the Packers added Greg Joseph to postseason competition. Neither Carlson nor Joseph won an immediate kick out of training camp, so the Packers rolled the dice with rookie Brayden Narveson, who missed five of his first 17 kicks before the Packers moved on to McManus in October.
In 2024, McManus shot a career-high 95.2 percent of his field goals. He just finished his 11th season in the NFL – his first in Green Bay, followed by nine in Denver and one in Jacksonville. His career field goal percentage is 82.2, but he has missed only 22 field goals within 50 yards and only nine extra points during his career.
