The Los Angeles Rams have turned to a familiar veteran to patch a glaring hole in the middle of the season, signing former Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus, according to ESPN’s Ian Rapoport.
The move became public on Tuesday, Oct. 20, as the Rams searched for help after a rough stretch on special teams. Their kicking situation has spiraled this year, and the timing of the signing underscores just how urgent the need has become. The team also lost former Packers legend Davante Adams to the IR, and the situation got even worse when their new kicker, Blake Grupe, tore his ACL in his debut.
For Green Bay, the McManus signing adds another wrinkle to a season that already has a strange holiday-night twist. The Packers are scheduled to play the Rams on Wednesday, Nov. 25, since Green Bay does not have a Thanksgiving game this year. That matchup is set for exclusive Netflix coverage, with U2 slated to perform at halftime.
By that point, the Rams could look very different, and through the first six weeks they have not played like an NFC contender.
McManus is a name Packers fans know well. Green Bay moved on from him and selected the lone kicker in the 2026 draft, Trey Smack. Smack has been close to steady, hitting 10 of 13 field goals, with all three misses coming from the 40-49 yard range.
That’s the same area where McManus struggled in 2024-25 with the Packers, when he went 6-for-11 from that distance.
His time in Green Bay was also a controversial one because of the sexual assault case against him, though he was cleared to play in the NFL.
In 2026, McManus is expected to make his Rams debut in Week 7 against the 3-3 Las Vegas Raiders, with Los Angeles sitting at 2-4.
McManus brings plenty of experience. He spent 2014-22 with the Denver Broncos before playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2023.
Over his career, he has made 82% of his field goal attempts and converted all but 10 of his 384 extra points. From long range, though, the numbers are less flattering: he is 51-for-90 on kicks from 50 yards and beyond, which means the Rams won’t be leaning on him the way a team like the Dallas Cowboys can with Brandon Aubrey.
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