McManus earned his keep. There's no arguing that. In the context of reliability you can count on for those 1/3 of points your team will score, he came up aces.

The question isn't whether to keep him, but for how long? He's reaching the age where he's coming up on his best if used by date, and four years might put the Packers in the same boat with him as they were with Mason.

But maybe that's not such a bad thing after all.

McManus was another top player that Gute brought in along with Jacobs and McKinney. He is still young for a kicker at 33, and making 20 of 21 kicks in the rain/cold/wind is not easy. Some of the best NFL kickers did well into their early 40's (Blanda, Anderson, Murray, Bryant, Groza). Packers lost a few games last year due to missed extra points and field goals before signing him. In 11 games, McManus gave the team what was needed. GB needs to pay the man, as the top kickers earn $5-6 million a year and Brandon is in that class. I have no doubt he will get a nice pay day and 3-4 more years with the Packers.

At this point what is there to lose. No brainer if he wants to come back to GB, sign him!

Corey, I think you meant to say "underrated" in your sentence since "Kicker might be the most overrated position in football." is the exact opposite of the position you are taking in the article. I remember Ron Wolf bemoaning his mistake in not keeping a good kicker initially.

McManus impressed me last season. Not just the game winners he hit against the Texans and Jags, but also the 55 yard FG he nailed with 54 seconds left in the week 18 game against the Bears at Lambeau. That's a hell of a kick, a long kick to make on a January afternoon in Wisconsin. Obviously LaFleur managed to muck it all up with his horrible clock management and shitty game plan prior to that kick.

My point is the Packers HAVE their kicker. DO NOT let him out the door, get him signed ASAP. If McManus isn't resigned and playing in Green Bay in September 2025, then Gute totally dropped the ball. This team has enough holes to fill already. They HAVE the answer already. Don't be creating more problems when the solution is right there.

I'd say keep him unless the contract is way too much. One of my big complaints in the final years of Crosby was that he couldnt kick the ball into the endzone on kickoffs. Now with this stupid convoluted ( and I hope that they trash it) kick off protocol - that is no longer at a premium. So the value of extra points and field goals has gone up.

Probably the least of the issues Gute, MLF and staff have to look at this off season. McManus did a really dumb thing but he's been a Boy Scout since joining the Packers.

The continued kicking issues(prior to McManus) also brings to question why Rich Bisaccia was given an extension.

Well, I guess if Brandon understands how important the fabric of this locker room is, what it means to be the next guy, is accountable to everyone, gives credit whenever possible, and is noble in thought, word, and deed forever and ever, amen, we should sign him because we all know what the long road of kicking uncertainty looks like, and if there's a fork in it, man, that ain't pretty.

There were 3 positive ingredients to the 2024 season.

1.) Josh Jacobs run style

2.) Defense could stop the run

3.) Gute finally found an accurate kicker....PAY HIM

He'll be 34 before the season. His lifetime percentage is 82%. His percentage this year was 10 points higher than any of his 10 previous seasons. I'd bring him back, but I'd love to see them draft one early day 3 if there is quality talent available.

This explains the Packers' kicking woes:
"But after missing six field goals and five extra points his rookie season, even Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was developing an upset stomach."
"after missing five field goals in six games, Gutekunst made another change. "
Having your GM also serve as your kicker is a recipe for disaster.