Packers GM Wants a Second Kicker in Camp as Trey Smack Works Through Early Struggles
The Green Bay Packers are exploring the addition of a second kicker to training camp as rookie Trey Smack works through a rocky opening stretch, though general manager Brian Gutekunst says the team still likes what it’s seeing from its sixth-round pick.
Speaking with reporters Thursday, Gutekunst confirmed the Packers wanted a two-kicker competition from the start. A long snapper injury got in the way. “Quite frankly, we’d like to. That’s the route we were going until Matt Orzech had the injury,” Gutekunst said, according to Bleacher Report.
USA Today Network’s Ryan Wood reported that Gutekunst wants a second kicker on the roster, and that Orzech’s injury — which landed him on the physically unable to perform list — forced Green Bay to bring in a backup long snapper instead, changing the team’s calculus at kicker. Smack has been progressing, per Wood’s reporting, but the desire to add competition at the position hasn’t gone away.
Orzech, Green Bay’s regular long snapper, has been sidelined by a calf injury since camp opened in late July. Without him, the kicking operation has had to adjust on the fly — new snapper, new timing, no live reps against a true long-snap look until recently.
Smack’s rough start has drawn scrutiny
The attention on Smack’s numbers is easy to understand. According to Packers Talk’s Bobby Santoro, the rookie has missed multiple field-goal attempts through the first stretch of camp, including one at the end of a two-minute drill that drew groans from the crowd at Ray Nitschke Field. Green Bay hasn’t had a steady answer at kicker since Mason Crosby left after the 2022 season, cycling through Anders Carlson, Brayden Narveson and Brandon McManus. Every miss lands a little heavier because of that history.
Gutekunst doesn’t sound worried yet. “He also has a pretty good history in college that we’ve evaluated. It’s why we did what we did. I think he’s had a pretty good start to camp so far,” he said, per Bleacher Report.
Green Bay traded up to take Smack with the No. 216 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, viewing him as the top kicker in a thin class. At Florida, he showed the leg strength and range teams look for, along with poise in pressure kicks — the traits that made the front office comfortable releasing McManus and fellow kicker Lucas Havrisik and handing Smack the job with no in-house competition.
Why camp misses aren’t the full picture
Rookie kickers almost always need time to sync up with a new operation — new holder, new snapper, different tempo than college. Those adjustments rarely show up on a stat sheet, but they shape everything. Without Orzech snapping, Smack has been working through that process with an unfamiliar look behind him, which coach Matt LaFleur has pointed to as a factor in the inconsistency.
History also cautions against overreacting to camp numbers either way. McManus was steady throughout last summer’s camp before injuries affected him during the regular season — a reminder that August form doesn’t always carry into the fall.
Green Bay has several weeks of camp and three preseason games left before final roster decisions come due. The plan for now: let Smack keep working, get Orzech back healthy, and see whether the front office adds a second kicker to sharpen the competition before Week 1.
