Packers dump $15 million kicker Brandon McManus after awful playoff game

Nypost · May 08, 2026 · 363 words · By Erich Richter

NFL Roster Management Professional Performance Evaluation

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Brandon McManus swung and missed too many times last season.

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 2

Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center50%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Brandon McManus swung and missed too many times last season.

Why it matters

The Packers drafted a kicker in the sixth round in last month’s NFL Draft, and as a result, released McManus just one season after he signed a three-year $15.5 million contract — and following a playoff game in which he missed both of his field goals attempts…

Common ground

McManus went 24of-30- last year on field goals in the regular season and missed one extra point in 33 tries last season in his second year with Green Bay.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this NFL Roster Management story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that McManus went 24of-30- last year on field goals in the regular season?
How does this story connect NFL Roster Management with Professional Performance Evaluation over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/08/sports/packers-dump-15-million-kicker-brandon-mcma…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 5

check_circle Corroborated 4

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “McManus went 24of-30- last year on field goals in the regular season”

CORROBORATED

Two independent sources (CBS Sports and another news source) explicitly state that Brandon McManus went 24-for-30 on field goal attempts during the regular season.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brandon Tyler McManus is an American professional football kicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was a member of the Denver Broncos and their Super Bowl 50 championship …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_McManus

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — McManus went 24-for-30 on field-goal attempts and 32-for-33 on extra-point tries over 14 regular-season games with the Packers in 2025.McManus will be on the books for the Packers for the next two sea…
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/2058320/brandon-mcmanu…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — McManus made 24-of-30 field goals this season (80.0%) and entered Saturday’s game having connected on 13 straight. But in Green Bay’s biggest game of the year, McManus failed to deliver.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robreischel/2026/01/11/green-ba…

info

Claim 2: “The Packers drafted a kicker in the sixth round in last month’s NFL Draft”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of search results for the color green and a college in Washington, which are completely irrelevant to the NFL Draft or the Green Bay Packers.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — By far the largest contributor to green in nature is chlorophyll, the chemical by which plants photosynthesize and convert sunlight into chemical energy. Many creatures have adapted to their green env…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Green symbolizes growth, renewal, and life itself. As nature’s most dominant color, it embodies the natural world, representing fertility, freshness, and environmental health.
https://www.figma.com/colors/green/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Start your future at Green River College in Auburn, WA. Explore pathways in STEM, Healthcare, Business, Trades, and Arts with hands-on learning and university transfer options.
https://www.greenriver.edu/

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Claim 3: “He first missed a 55-yarder to close the first half with the Packers ahead, 21-3”

CORROBORATED

Three independent sources confirm that McManus missed a 55-yard field goal to close the first half while the Packers led 21-3.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brandon Tyler McManus (born July 25, 1991) is an American professional football kicker for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He was a member of the Denver Broncos and their …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon_McManus

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Packers had a 21-3 lead when McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter. Love's 23-yard TD pass to Matthew Golden made it 27-16 with 6:36 left, but McManus was wid…
https://www.usnews.com/news/sports/articles/2026-01-11/matt-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Packers kicker Brandon McManus missed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the first half. The Packers outgained the Bears 231 to 122 in the first half. Williams is 8-of-17 for 78 yards and an in…
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/packers-dominate-first-hal…

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Claim 4: “whiffed on an extra point after Green Bay took a 27-16 lead with 6:36 remaining in the game”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm McManus missed an extra point after the Packers took a 27-16 lead with 6:36 remaining in the game.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — He first missed a 55-yarder to close the first half with the Packers ahead, 21-3, and next whiffed on an extra point after Green Bay took a 27-16 lead with 6:36 remaining in the game.
https://nypost.com/2026/05/08/sports/packers-dump-15-million…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — McManus missed a 55-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, preventing what could have been a 21-point lead at the break. He missed an extra point after the Packers went up 27-16 on Matthew…
https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/20…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brandon McManus is getting much of blame after he missed three kicks in Packers' devastating 31-27 wild-card playoff loss to the Bears.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2026/01/10…

schedule

Claim 5: “embarrassing attempt at a game-tying 64-yard field goal in a loss to the Eagles”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 6: “he missed a 44-yard field goal attempt”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions he missed 'three kicks' in the loss; the 55-yarder and the extra point are detailed, implying the third was the 44-yarder mentioned in the claim, but the specific distance of 44 yards is not explicitly corroborated by the other provided search results (which focus on the 55-yarder and XP).

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — It is located on the banks of the Assiniboine River in Western Manitoba, approximately 214 kilometres (133 mi) west of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, and 120 kilometres (75 mi) east of the Saskatch…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandon,_Manitoba

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Brandon is a dynamic, growing city with a penchant for hosting world-class events. From theatre and music, to exhibitions and sports, here’s what’s happening in Brandon. Learn more about Manitoba’s se…
https://brandontourism.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 19 hours ago · A 16-year-old boy faces extortion and child sexual abuse material-related charges after sharing an intimate photo of an underage girl, Brandon police say.
https://www.brandonsun.com/

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Claim 7: “disastrous playoff showing in the 31-27 wild-card loss to the Bears”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm a wild-card playoff loss to the Bears with a final score of 31-27.

travel_explore

verified

Claim 8: “missed one extra point in 33 tries last season in his second year with Green Bay”

VERIFIED

CBS Sports explicitly states that McManus was 32-for-33 on extra-point tries over 14 regular-season games, which means he missed exactly one extra point in 33 tries.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Get the latest on Green Bay Packers K Brandon McManus including news, stats, videos, and more on CBSSports.com.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/2058320/brandon-mcmanu…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Lions 37, Packers 30: Instant analysis of Green Bay’s Week 18 loss.
https://packerswire.usatoday.com/

schedule

Claim 9: “He struggled with Jaguars in 2023”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 10: “posting strong 2024 campaign with the Packers”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 11: “Florida kicker Trey Smack”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for Trey Smack in the provided search results.

schedule

Claim 12: “The 34-year-old McManus made just three of his five kicks from 50 yards or more last season”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “Known as one of the biggest legs in the NFL during his time at Mile High with the Broncos from 2015-22”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “Smack was solid for the Gators, going 53-of-64 (82.8 percent), including 10-of-13 from 50-plus yards”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found for Trey Smack's statistics in the provided search results.

info

Claim 15: “released McManus just one season after he signed a three-year $15.5 million contract”

SINGLE SOURCE

One source mentions the Packers 'dumped' a $15 million kicker after a playoff game, and another mentions a three-year $15.3 million contract. However, the specific detail of being released 'just one season after' is only explicitly framed as such in the context of the 'dump' headline; the CBS source suggests he would be on the books for two more seasons, creating a slight tension in the timeline, but the 'dump' source supports the release.

travel_explore

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.