Packers release slumping rookie starter, sign former Super Bowl champion kicker

The NFL is a bottom-line business, and that's especially true for arguably the most results-oriented position in the sport: kicker.

Kickers don't spend much time on the field, but the few plays they're involved in from week to week often determine the outcomes of game. If their performance isn't up to snuff, teams will quickly find their replacement. That's the unfortunate process the Green Bay Packers have had to go through.

Last season, the Packers drafted Anders Carlson to take over their kicking job after Mason Crosby had held it for 16 seasons. But Carlson only lasted one season, and now, his replacement has officially been let go even sooner.

The Packers officially announced on Wednesday that they had released starting kicker Brayden Narveson and signed veteran Brandon McManus, who will begin his 11th NFL season for Green Bay. McManus will wear uniform number 17.

McManus, 32, kicked in all 17 games in 2023 for the Jacksonville Jaguars, making 30 of his 37 field goal attempts (81.1%) and all 35 of his extra points. A Super Bowl champion for the Denver Broncos, McManus also has a 61-yarder in his career, so there's definitely some range in his game.

Narveson, meanwhile, never got off the ground as the Packers' unexpected Week 1 starter. He went just 12-of-17 on field goal attempts (70.1%) despite never attempting a kick of 50-plus yards. The North Carolina State grad will now hope to catch on elsewhere.

There's no telling whether signing McManus will fix the Packers' kicking issues for good, but at least they're trying something different. Now, fans will have to grit their teeth and hope their promising season doesn't come down to one missed kick.

More NFL: Packers urged to add eight-time Pro Bowler immediately to solve key weakness