The Packers left Week 5 with a blowout win over the Chicago Bears, but they also left with a kicker problem they’d probably rather not be talking about.
Green Bay is 3-2, and rookie Trey Smack is suddenly under the microscope after a rough afternoon in which he missed three kicks. One extra point and two field goals - from 43 and 47 yards - sailed wide of the uprights.
In a lopsided win, those misses didn’t change the outcome. Still, they were impossible to ignore.
That’s what makes the situation awkward for Green Bay. Kicker issues already burned the team last season, and now there’s fresh concern again.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell put it plainly when he noted: "One bad game shouldn't sink Smack. If he struggles in the weeks to come, though, the Packers might not be willing to go into the winter with an inexperienced kicker, especially given what happened to them in the postseason a year ago,"
For now, the Packers still have room to be patient. Smack has time to settle in, and one ugly game shouldn’t be enough to end the conversation. But the margin for error shrinks fast once games get tight, and Green Bay can’t keep overlooking missed chances if this becomes a trend.
Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys offers Smack a clean chance to respond. If he steadies himself there and strings together a few solid weeks after that, Week 5 can go down as a one-off.
If not, the Packers could find themselves having an uncomfortable conversation about whether to keep rolling with the rookie sixth-round kicker. It’s not hard to see where that road leads if the misses keep piling up. For a team with a chance to contend in 2026, sticking with a kicker who can’t find his footing would be a risky call.
For now, though, this is less about a decision than a warning sign. Smack can quiet it quickly. Or he can force Green Bay into a much tougher discussion than anyone wants this early in the season.
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Riley and Williams are both in their 21-day practice window after being designated to return from injured reserve, which at least gives Green Bay some possible help down the line. For now, though, the Packers are still sorting through a crowded list of injured players before a prime-time matchup that could put extra pressure on the defense to hold up with so many moving parts around it. [Read more 🡒]