The Green Bay Packers wrapped up OTAs this past Thursday, taking us one step closer to the beginning of of the 2026 season.
Here’s what stood out the most from the small sample size.
Jumping the Gun?
The biggest story at OTAs was undoubtedly rookie kicker Trey Smack.
The Packers have been trying to close a revolving door at the position since the departure of the franchise’s leading scorer, Mason Crosby, and although it is very early, Smack didn’t leave a great first impression.
The Florida product’s initial open field goal period of OTAs ended with a five of nine result, which instantly generated the wrong kind of buzz among Packers fans.
There was a strong crosswind to consider, but it was the distance of the attempts that left more than enough room for concern.
Following the shaky debut, Smack followed up a week later with a far more stable outing, going seven of eight with makes from fifty-one and fifty-eight yards out, per Rob Demovsky.
The only miss of that period was wide right from forty yards, and it seemed like the sixth-round selection may have kicked his jitters.
Unfortunately, his struggles only continued.
At the end of OTAs, the Green Bay Packers ran a two minute drill period in which the offense was down 27-24.
They decided to kick a game-tying field goal on fourth and one from the seventeen with twenty seconds left, and the thirty-five yard attempt went wide left.
Head coach Matt LaFleur then had Smack make an attempt from fifty yards out, which he converted.
The month of June is certainly too early to be worried about a rookie kicker, but with what this team went through with Brandon McManus, Smack’s margin of error in eyes of Cheeseheads will likely be razor thin.
At the very least, the Packers could have a backup plan in Lucas Havrisik.
Havrisik kicked in a few games for Green Bay last year, including a game-winning performance against Arizona that featured a franchise record sixty-one yard make.
In the one period reporters saw at OTAs, Havrisik went seven of seven on field goal attempts, including conversions from fifty-three and fifty-eight yards.
Those attempts took place inside the Don Hutson center, so there were no weather factors to deal with, but we may not have seen the last of the Packers’ kicking competition.
I was one of many to believe that Havrisik earned the starting job last year, and if he continues to outperform Smack in training camp, there should be no hesitation from the Green Bay Packers’ staff.
Letting the same mistake kill the team two years in a row would be absolutely brutal.
A Surprise Starter?
One of the more positive developments to come out of OTAs was rookie offensive lineman Jager Burton.
The fifth-round selection out of Kentucky took snaps with the starters for the duration of the program, and he may have an inside track to significant playing time in 2026.
Burton saw time at both guard positions, and although that was mostly due to the fact that Zach Tom and Aaron Banks are still dealing with injuries, I think there’s something to be said for the rave reviews that Burton has received so far.
The Green Bay Packers are one of if not the best team in the league at drafting and developing later round offensive line talent, and the four-year college starter could be next in line.
With how badly the line struggled in 2025, the door will be wide open for any sort of improvement, and it’s hard to believe, at least as of late, that we’ll ever see a season in which all of the starters remain healthy.
If that’s the case, Burton will likely be a big part of the team’s story this year.
Impending Holdout?
One of the final pieces of news out of OTAs was in regard to cornerback Keisean Nixon.
According to reports, Nixon may be considering holding out of training camp for a new contract.
I don’t have much to say on the matter, as I’ve made my position on Nixon clear, but it’s truly baffling to see this situation come to pass.
Nixon has been average at best, though I’d argue worse, and the Green Bay Packers should absolutely not consider paying him any more than they already do.
If Nixon decides to hold out, rookie Brandon Cisse will only benefit from more snaps in camp, and if we’re lucky, we could see him taking over on the boundary sooner rather than later.
I’m sure that would be a welcome sight for a strong contingent of Lambeau faithful.
