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Ex-Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus was released by the Green Bay Packers.
Former Denver Broncos Super Bowl hero Brandon McManus is back on the open market after a short run with the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers released McManus on Friday, May 8, after using a sixth-round pick in the 2026 NFL draft on former Florida kicker Trey Smack, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The move ends what had looked like a possible kicking competition before training camp and puts one of the most important special teams players from Denver’s Super Bowl 50 team back into the NFL’s veteran kicker pool.
After drafting Florida kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round last month, the Packers released veteran kicker Brandon McManus today, per source.
For Broncos fans, the news lands differently than a standard roster cut. McManus made all 10 of his field-goal attempts during Denver’s 2015 postseason run, which ended with a Super Bowl 50 victory. His Packers bio notes those 10 makes tied for the fourth-most field goals in a single postseason in NFL history.
Packers Move on From Brandon McManus After Drafting Trey Smack
Green Bay’s decision came less than two weeks after the Packers invested real draft capital in Smack.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson