Trey Smack
Smack is Green Bay's starting kicker for now. LaFleur backed him after the 20-17 loss to the Lions, but a rough rookie run has opened a real question about how long that lasts.
Role
He is the Packers' full-time kicker, handling field goals and PATs, and LaFleur said after the Lions game he will remain the kicker. Volume depends on how many drives stall near midfield and how many touchdowns Green Bay scores. Per the Yahoo/USA Today piece, he has missed five field goals in seven games. Per ESPN's player page, his season line sits at 68.8 FG% and 86.7 XP%. ESPN's player-page switcher also lists Lenny Krieg (#38), but I did not confirm his role. The Yahoo piece says Green Bay has a practice squad option and outside market options, without naming them in the portion I read.
The leg is real. He hit a 59-yarder in Week 1 (second-longest in franchise history), a 58-yarder this season, and the game-winning 26-yarder in overtime against the Jets. LaFleur said after the Lions game that Smack has proven he can do it. Green Bay has rolled with a rookie kicker and is giving him time to respond. His misses against the Lions included a delay-of-game-affected 26-yarder and a late 35-yarder that was partially blocked by DJ Wonnum, which lets optimists argue some of it was bad luck.
Accuracy on routine kicks is the problem. NBC Sports, citing the AP, says he was the first kicker since 2019 to miss two field goals of 35 yards or less in one game. He was also the first in a game his team lost by three or fewer since 2013. PFT counts seven misses this season, including three from 40-49 yards and two extra points. Green Bay has started rookie kickers three times in four years, and the Journal Sentinel noted the other two did not end well. Another bad game could prompt a change.
Where analysts split
The open question is whether the misses come from fixable noise (a block, a penalty-affected attempt) or from real short-and-mid-range accuracy flaws, and so how long the Packers stay patient. LaFleur publicly commits to him. Yahoo's outlook piece argues Green Bay should look at outside options anyway.
Research confidence: reported. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
Others at K
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