Final Grades for the 2025 Green Bay Packers Special Teams: Same Old Problems

This is the last in a series of articles providing an in-depth analysis of each position group on the Green Bay Packers for 2025. Today we will analyze the special teams. The grades will be for each unit as a whole, but we will give an analysis of each player, their strengths and weaknesses and where they stand heading into the offseason. Here are the grades for the Packers special teams in 2025. The marks are based on a combination of expectations and performance. The average grade is a C+.

You can see our final grade for the quarterbacks here, for the defensive tackles here, the running backs here, the linebackers here, tight ends here and defensive ends here, the offensive line here, the secondary here and the wide receivers here.

Final Grades for the 2025 Packers Special Teams: Kicker and Long Snapper

Brandon McManus enjoyed a great 2024 season with the Packers but struggled through much of 2025 with injuries and inconsistent play. McManus got off to a good start before suffering an injury. He sat out three games on the season but probably returned too soon.

McManus made 24-of-30 field goal attempts for the season or 80 percent of his overall tries. But from 40 yards out or more, he hit just 6-of-12. In the modern NFL, most kickers are much more accurate from long range. He also hit 32-of-33 extra points.

McManus had trouble kicking the ball into the ideal spot in the landing zone on kickoffs. This may have been due to his injuries, but it cost the Packers field position.

When McManus couldn’t play, the Packers turned to Lucas Havrisik. In his first two games, Havrisik was perfect on his field goal tries and extra points. He even hit a Packers record 61-yard field goal. But in his third and final game on the active roster, he missed two extra points.

As of now, both McManus and Havrisik are signed to contracts for 2026. They will likely compete for the starting kicking job in training camp. Regardless of who wins the job, the Packers will need more consistency from their kickers in 2026.

Long snapper, Matt Orzech didn’t make any major mistakes and was signed to an extension during the season. He is expected to return in 2026.

The blocking for field goals and extra points struggled and missed or blocked kicks cost the Packers at least three games this season including the playoff loss to the Bears.

Punter and Holder

Daniel Whelan was the punter and the holder for the Packers for the third straight season. He did a very good job as a holder on field goals and extra points.

Whelan became the first Packers punter to lead the league in yards per kick. That’s not easy when you consider how cold and windy it gets at Lambeau Field in the second half of the season. The former Cal-Davis star averaged 51.7-yards per punt. He placed 18 punts inside the opponent’s 20 and had eight touchbacks.

Whelan was the standout on special teams and should have earned Pro Bowl honors.

Final Grades for the 2025 Packers Special Teams: Kick and Punt Returns and Coverage Teams

Savion Williams and Bo Melton were the primary kick returners. Williams averaged 25.6 yards on 28 returns while Melton averaged 24.6 yards on 19. Both players had a long return of 36 yards as the Packers failed to break a long return all season.

Romeo Doubs led the team with 15 punt returns. He averaged just 6.3 yards per run back. Matthew Golden was next with six returns, but he averaged only 4.7 yards per runback.

Overall, the special teams units failed to impress returning kicks and were well below average returning punts.

The coverage teams were a mixed bag. The kick return coverage ranked in the middle of the pack, as opponents averaged 25.8 yards per kick return. On punt returns, opponents averaged 10.6 yards per runback. That ranked 17^th in the league.

Unfortunately, the special teams unit struggled with penalties, mental mistakes and giving up big plays at inopportune times.

Final Grades for the Packers 2025 Special Teams

The special teams units continue to struggle and can’t seem to improve. Whelan was a standout, but the rest of the unit was average at best and well below average to bad far too often.

Somehow, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia still has a job. It’s not all on Bisaccia, the front office doesn’t emphasize special teams as much as it should, but we have not seen much improvement here under Bisaccia’s watch.

FINAL GRADE: D+