Matt LaFleur hopeful Zach Tom returns as Packers gear up for Browns 1 Sep 11, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur looks on in the first quarter against the Washington Commanders at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Packers coach Matt LaFleur cleans up controversy, clarifies why he called Brandon McManus injury a 'major concern'

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By John Sbisa | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 8:35 PM ET

Injuring his quad in practice on Wednesday did nothing to alter the plans of Packers kicker Brandon McManus for Sunday against Cincinnati. “I plan on playing, yes,” he told reporters. Earlier, Matt LaFleur had called the injury a “major concern,” so the conflicting reports between player and coach naturally caused a stir.

On Friday LaFleur cleared up any confusion about his comments, not without a sense of humor.

LaFleur clears the air after misunderstanding

McManus said yesterday that he had not discussed the issue with his coach, and that the latter “has his own thesaurus,” supposedly explaining LaFleur’s less optimistic interpretation of the injury. The kicker’s off-the-cuff remark did not escape LaFleur.

“Well, we’ll see when we get out there,” he said when asked about McManus’ injury status. “I’ve got to check my thesaurus apparently.”

After the chuckling subsided, LaFleur continued. “But any time a kicker – I don’t care, that’s what I was trying to tell him – yeah, you’ve dealt with this, but we haven’t. And I haven’t, in my experience. I’m like, you’re a kicker and your leg is bothering you. That’s a problem. It’s no different than a quarterback that has something with their throwing arm, or throwing shoulder. That’s a concern. So whether you can work yourself through it or not, time will tell.”

McManus and the Packers’ special teams have looked a bit discombobulated at times this season. For the most part, it’s not on McManus. As far as the kicking game goes, Green Bay’s point of focus needs to be on giving him better protection on his attempts.

In case McManus is unable to suit up, the Packers auditioned a pair of kickers. Lucas Havrisik, who played for the Rams in 2023, and Greg Joseph, a six-year veteran, both had workouts today. McManus is officially listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, so there is no clarity yet as to whether the Packers will need a replacement kicker against the Bengals.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur cleans up controversy, clarifies why he called Brandon McManus injury a Oct 20, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers kicker Brandon McManus (17) kicks a football during warmups prior to the game against the Houston Texans at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

This article first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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