Matt LaFleur has high praise for Packers' secret weapon

When you think about what the Green Bay Packers can do on offense in 2025, it starts with quarterback Jordan Love and quickly pivots to star running back Josh Jacobs.

Those two will be the fulcrum that allows the Packers offense to shine this upcoming season, especially if both remain healthy.

From there, there are high expectations for tight end Tucker Kraft, while someone in the wide receiver group of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks and rookie Matthew Golden has to step up to become a star — or at least as close to it as possible. 

Those weapons, plus an innovative offensive mind in head coach Matt LaFleur should keep Green Bay's offense humming among the best in the league all season, but there is one player who can put points on the board but is getting barely any attention nationally during training camp.

And to be fair, kickers barely get any attention unless they're missing kicks, but kicker Brandon McManus is a game-winning secret weapon the Pack have in their back pockets as they head into this crucial season.

If the Packers want to be a Super Bowl contender, they will need to win close games against good teams. Offense is exciting to watch and defense wins championships, but special teams is often the difference between winning and losing in the NFL.

Luckily for the Packers, McManus is coming off a season in which he hit 20 of 21 field goals after being picked up to replace rookie Brayden Narveson. The Packers had high hopes for Narveson, but he missed five kicks in his first six games season. 

From a massive question mark at kicker to a veteran who is as consistent as they come, the Packers head into 2025 feeling extremely good about the kicking operation.

"I don't even think about it," LaFleur said of McManus and the kicking operation on Monday at training camp, according to the team website. "It's great."

McManus hasn't missed yet during training camp, and his leg already appears to be in midseason form.

On Monday, he nailed three kicks from 45 yards and hit a long of 56.

According to long-snapper Matt Orzech, McManus' secret is that he takes each kick as it comes and doesn't let anything get into his head.

"It's kind of been that way ever since he got here," Orzech explained. "Even through all the crazy winter months with the wind, it's crazy on that practice field, but he handles it in stride. He never lets a miss of what he thought a line would do get to his head, and he just keeps taking each kick as it is."

That's a mindset that won games for Green Bay in 2024, and McManus will be a weapon for the Packers in 2025 as long as he stays healthy and confident in his leg.