After coming off of a Week 5 bye, most would assume that the Green Bay Packers would be going into their Week 6 game against the Cincinnati Bengals at near full health. Unfortunately, according to Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, that is not the case at one major position that may need to be addressed prior to Sunday’s game.
On Wednesday, kicker Brandon McManus popped up as a surprise name on the team’s injury report with a right quadricep injury, but was able to be a full participant in the practice. It seems as if his status for Sunday’s game may have taken a turn for the worse.
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, LaFleur explained that McManus’ injured quad is a “major concern” heading into Week 6, which will ultimately cause the team to weigh their options at the position should McManus not be able to go.
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“That’s a major concern right now,” said LaFleur on McManus. “So we’ll see how he’s doing today and tomorrow. We’ll have a plan ready to go.”
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Kickers are often overlooked and underappreciated in the eyes of NFL fans. But for the Packers, McManus has been an integral piece of their special teams unit since joining the team in 2024, making 90 percent of his field goal attempts in his 15 games played in Green Bay.
Currently, McManus is the only kicker on their active roster, with Mark McNamee, an international developmental player, as their only other option at the position on their practice squad.
Unless the organization seeks alternate kickers from outside the organization, it sounds as if McNamee may be the man to be tasked with the kicking responsibilities in Week 6 if McManus is unable to play, which should be a bit of a concern for Packers fans.
Notably, McNamee has never kicked in an NFL game before. So there would be plenty of uncertainty around the Green Bay kicking game should he ultimately be the team’s kicker this week, a question that should become more clear over the next few days.