Lucas Havrisik’s Wild Week With Packers Ends With Big Kick, Big Prize

The Packers’ standout veteran kicker, Brandon McManus, suffered an injured right quad during Wednesday’s practice. Before Thursday’s practice, LaFleur called it a “major concern.” After Thursday’s practice, McManus said he’d kick.

“I know he said he wasn’t worried about it. I told you I was worried about it. Who was right?” LaFleur said with a smile.

For insurance, general manager Brian Gutekunst brought in Havrisik and Greg Joseph, who competed for a roster spot with the Packers at training camp last summer, for tryouts. With McManus limited participation and questionable on Friday’s injury report, the Packers signed Havrisik on Saturday.

About two-and-a-half hours before kickoff, McManus went through his usual pregame routine. He started from 30 yards then slowly backed his way up to 54 yards and “made it by plenty,” he said.

After kicking to both the south and north ends to get a feel for the health of his quad and the blustery weather, McManus got together with special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, general manager Brian Gutekunst and a few others. They talked for a few minutes before McManus took a football, set it up and booted a 50-yard field goal.

McManus returned to Gutekunst and Bisaccia, talked for a few moments, and the decision was made.

“It was everyone’s decision,” McManus said. “I planned on playing. I went through my usual warm-ups just so they could see it. I knew I was going to be in pain playing through it, but everyone decided it was probably smarter to just play the long game.”

McManus said he was “comfortable” kicking, but the team was not.

“There was some pain after I kicked, then it’d go away,” McManus said. “And so, they were hoping that there’d be no pain and no one would have known until I kicked. So, we just thought it’d be better to do the long term.”

So, the Packers made a call to the bullpen for Havrisik, who agreed to come to Green Bay for a tryout for a position that might not actually be open.

“They told me to treat it as if I was playing,” he said. “I did my best job to think I was playing and really not thinking of anything else. I’m not so sure what time they told me because I had my mind set that I was going to play. I just went with the flow and treated it as a regular game.”

That’s the life of an NFL kicker.

“It’s of course strange, but I try to do my best to adapt to the situation,” Havrisik said. “I’ve had a lot of workouts in the NFL. Had a red eye last year to Buffalo and ended up getting signed. I don’t know. I’m a little fried, mentally. I guess. I treat it as this is your job and be prepared as best as possible and be ready for sudden change. So, yeah, it’s crazy, though.”

Havrisik’s NFL experience entailed a half-season with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.

He spent two weeks on Buffalo’s practice squad last season and kicked in the UFL this past spring.

“Just staying ready” since the UFL season ended, he said. “It’s hard to get in with only 32 jobs. Yeah, just try to stay ready and do my thing.”

In the ultimate it’s-a-small-world story, Havrisik had some familiar faces waiting for him in Green Bay. He’s worked with Packers long snapper Matt Orzech and punter/holder Daniel Whelan. The ties with Orzech run deeper.

“Our parents actually worked together, so we knew each other through that,” Havrisik said. “And he went to college with my brother. They used to play Super Smash Bros. in the hall.”

Havrisik woke up in his hotel on Sunday knowing he might have to play and preparing like normal. It was “weird,” he said, but it ended with making one of the bigger kicks of his life.

“You’re just holding your breath,” LaFleur said. “We all know the issues we’ve had up front, too, in those situations. That’s where my focus was was more on the protection, which I thought our guys did an outstanding job. All game long, I thought the protection was much, much improved. Those guys, they took it personal, and Rich did, as well. Everyone stepped up and did their job.”

Who knows what’s ahead. The Packers will have back-to-back road games coming up against the Cardinals and Steelers. Maybe McManus will be healthy. Maybe he won’t.

Whatever is next, Havrisik will be ready.

“I’m just very thankful,” he said. “I rely on the Lord for all my strength. It’s a big part of my life. I think the only purpose of life is Jesus, so I was on the sideline just trying to quote Scripture to give me peace and confidence and pray to God, not that I would make it, but just give me my head space right and be my strength.