Packers Special Teams Showing Signs of Improvement

Special teams have been a problem for the Green Bay Packers for far too long. The team has gone through multiple special teams coordinators, strategies and players but the results were nearly always lacking. The Packers hired Cam Achord this year to replace Rich Bisaccia who walked away late in the offseason after four disappointing years running Green Bay’s special teams. It’s still early, but the Packers special teams are definitely showing signs of improvement this season.

Packers Special teams Showing Improvement: The Problem

The Packers special teams struggled again last season. Poor execution on special teams cost the Packers at least three wins during the regular season and was costly in their playoff loss in Chicago as well.

The problems weren’t always the same, but they were pervasive. There were mental errors that led to penalties like not having the right number of players on the field or lining up offsides. There were breakdowns in field goal and extra point protection, missed kicks, too many holding penalties and basic difficulties fielding and returning punts.

Last year, the special teams coaches also did a poor job of handling the injury to kicker Brandon McManus who came back too soon and kicked poorly after this initial return.

These fundamental errors cost the Packers wins against Cleveland, Dallas and Chicago. Those three games alone would have given the Pack 12 wins last season.

The Changes

The Packers replaced Bisaccia with Achord. Bisaccia did the team a disservice by resigning late in the preseason after the other teams had already made their hires. This put the team at an early disadvantage, but GM Brian Gutekunst hired Achord.

The Packers signed free agent return specialist and wide receiver Skyy Moore who spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers. Moore would be an upgrade over the average kick returning and struggling punt returns we saw a year ago.

Gutekunst also drafted kicker Trey Smack in the 2026 NFL Draft. Green Bay traded away two seventh round picks to move up and select the University of Florida kicker with the final pick in the sixth round. He was considered the best available kicker in this year’s draft class.

The Packers were already set at punter with Daniel Whelan. He became the first punter in Packers history to lead the league in punting average. That is extremely difficult when kicking in the cold and windy conditions at Lambeau Field in the second half of the season.

Long snapper Matt Orzech was also back, although an injury has kept him off the field at training camp this year. The Packers signed Cal Adomitis who has filled in admirably thus far in Orzech’s absence.

Packers Special teams Showing Improvement: Early Returns

The special teams units showed unusual signs of life in the preseason opener against the Steelers. While all preseason results need to be taken with a grain of salt, the early results were encouraging.

Smack stood out the most. After struggling early in training camp, he hit all three field goals he tried including a 58-yarder on the final play of the first half. He also hit a 58-yarder on the Packers first drive of the game, but it was taken off the board because the Steelers were penalized for roughing the long snapper. Later that drive, Smack was good from 37 yards out. The two 58-yard kicks would have been good from 60-plus yards out and they were right down the middle of the goalposts.

Smack also did a good job on kickoffs, placing the ball deep in the landing zone but not in the end zone. Even something basic like kickoff placement was a problem for the Packers last season.

The Packers special teams also took no penalties in this game. Holding calls did not nullify kick or punt returns or cost the team field position.

Moore broke a nice 14-yard punt return that showed he knew how to read his blocks and take the holes that were available.

There is still a way to go before the start of the new season, and one preseason game doesn’t prove anything, but the early returns on the Packers special teams are looking good.