The Packers got a small but important bit of good news on Thursday: Trey Smack’s calf issue doesn’t appear to be a real problem.
Smack showed up on the initial injury report Wednesday as a limited participant with a right calf injury, but that was only an estimate on a job-through. By Thursday, Nov. 12, he had been bumped up to full participation, easing any concern that Green Bay was about to lose its kicker for more than a day or two.
That matters because the timing was hardly ideal. The Packers are also getting Skyy Moore back into practice, and the last thing this team needed was a special teams scare involving the leg of a rookie kicker.
Smack, drafted No. 216 overall in the 2026 draft, has had a season that’s swung from promising to shaky and back again. He opened by making his first five field goals, though he did miss one of his first two extra points. Then came a rough stretch: he went 0-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and later finished 1-3 against both the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions.
The Bears game didn’t cost Green Bay much because the Packers rolled, 31-7. The Lions game was a different story. Smack left six points on the board in a game decided by three.
He steadied things a bit against the Carolina Panthers, making three of four extra points, though he didn’t get a field-goal chance in that one. Then he bounced back in a big way against the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 8, going 7-7 and drilling all three of his field goals, including a 51-yarder.
His longest make this season is 59 yards, and he’s also connected from 58.
There is still one wrinkle worth watching: Smack has been only 4-7 at Lambeau Field. With the Packers set to host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Nov. 15, they’ll want him sharp at home.
His NFL debut offered a glimpse of what Green Bay hoped to get. Smack made all three of his field goals that day, with his kicks averaging 43 yards, and accounted for 10 of the Packers’ 22 points. He could have had 11 if not for the missed extra point.
In Other News...
Drew Brees Just Put Packers Fans On Notice With ESPN Hint
Drew Brees is already making sure his name stays in the conversation for one of the biggest jobs in football media. The former Saints quarterback has publicly said he wants to be ESPNs next Monday Night Football analyst alongside Joe Buck once Troy Aikmans contract runs out after Super Bowl LXI, and he framed the opportunity as the next step in a broadcasting path he has been working to improve since his first run at NBC.
For Packers fans, the interest matters because Monday night games have a way of shaping the national conversation around Green Bay, and ESPNs next move at the booth could help define how those matchups are presented for years. Brees is clearly positioning himself as a serious candidate if ESPN decides to go in a different direction from Aikman, and the networks eventual choice could have a real impact on how the leagues biggest stages sound when the Packers are on them. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Are Winning With A Risky Identity Fans Need To See
After a rough start, the Packers have steadied themselves by leaning into a version of football that looks a lot different from the one many expected in September. They have won five of their past six games, and the turnaround has been powered by a defense that has come a long way while the offense has embraced a more aggressive passing identity. The running game still has not become a reliable foundation, but the overall formula has started to work.
The shift has also put more pressure on the offensive line, which has held up just enough in pass protection to let the passing game breathe. Green Bay is still sorting out how far it wants to push this approach, especially with the ground attack lagging behind, but the recent run has shown why the coaching staff is willing to live on the edge. The next question is whether this is a temporary adjustment or the shape of the Packers offense for the stretch run. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Shouldn't Panic Over Tucker Kraft's Quiet Role
The Packers win over the Patriots came with plenty to like on the perimeter, where Christian Watson and Matthew Golden helped drive the offense with their deep-ball impact. In that kind of game script, Tucker Kraft was not the featured piece he has been at other points, and his role naturally shrank while Green Bay leaned into the explosive passing game that was working.
Even so, there is no reason to read too much into the quiet afternoon from the tight end spot. Kraft is still doing the dirty work that does not always show up in the box score, especially as a blocker, and he has not shown any physical signs of the injury concern that lingered last season. For a Packers offense that is currently finding its rhythm through speed and vertical shots, that is more a usage note than a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]