Talkin’ Smack: No Panic Over Trey Smack’s Camp Struggles

Packers training camp has not opened up the way Trey Smack envisioned. The rookie kicker has struggled early on, missing multiple kicks, including one at the end of a two-minute drill. For a fan base that has watched Green Bay search for consistency at kicker since Mason Crosby, every miss naturally draws attention.

But while the results have been inconsistent, there is little reason to believe the Packers are ready to second-guess their investment. Training camps expose weaknesses. For Smack, those weaknesses are simply playing out in front of hundreds of fans every afternoon.

Smack is Not a Finished Product

The Packers understood the risk when they traded up for Smack, but they also believed he was the best kicker in the draft. At Florida, he showed NFL-level range, delivered under pressure and proved he had the leg strength to justify the investment.

Quarterbacks and receivers aren’t the only rookies who face a difficult NFL transition. Specialists must adjust to a faster operation, a smaller margin for error and constant scrutiny as fans and reporters track every kick.

Smack is also building chemistry with a new holder and long snapper while adjusting to the daily rhythm of an NFL practice schedule. Those details rarely receive headlines, but they often determine whether a rookie kicker finds consistency.

Kicks in August Never Matter

Last year, Brandon McManus looked nearly automatic in training camp. He made kicks every day and gave everyone confidence in the position. Injuries eventually took a toll, and he returned sooner than he should have. His rough finish proved that August results do not always carry into the regular season.

The most important kicks Trey Smack attempts this season won’t come in early August. They’ll come when the regular season begins.

Green Bay still has weeks of practice remaining, plus three preseason games that will provide opportunities in more game-like situations. Those reps matter far more than isolated misses during the opening week of camp.

If the inconsistencies continue through the preseason, the conversation changes. Right now, the sample size remains too small to draw meaningful conclusions.

Patience, Patience, Patience

Nobody inside the Packers building is celebrating Smack’s start to camp. The rookie would likely admit he expects more from himself. But there is also no indication that Green Bay’s confidence has wavered after a few difficult practices.

The Packers believed Trey Smack had the leg talent to become their long-term answer at kicker when they drafted him. A rough first week of training camp hasn’t changed that belief.

If anything, it has simply reinforced what every rookie eventually learns: development rarely follows a straight line.