The Packers may not need Trey Smack to be perfect to change the conversation around their kicking game. If he is merely average, Green Bay could suddenly have a Packers kicker who gives them a real floor, and perhaps even a little ceiling too.
That matters because this has been a long-running problem. Brandon McManus brought experience, but the position still lacked consistency, and last year’s playoff game only reinforced that with a missed PAT and a makeable field goal. For a team trying to win tight games, that is the sort of margin that can shape a season.
Trey Smack has already shown the kind of range Green Bay wants
In the preseason, Trey Smack put on a show in Denver and then followed it up in Pittsburgh with two 58-yard field goals, one of which was wiped out by a penalty. Those are not routine kicks, and they matter because long-range scoring changes how a coach thinks about drive management.
There is always a difference between power and reliability. A booming leg is useful, but it only becomes valuable if it comes with enough accuracy to trust on a weekly basis. Smack has not played a down in the NFL yet, but he has already shown the one thing Green Bay has often lacked: a kicker who can threaten from distance.
Why even average would be a big step forward
The Packers do not need a miracle worker. They need stability. Last year’s setup never really offered a proper floor or ceiling, which is why an average season from Smack would already feel like a significant upgrade.
That is especially true in a sport where the margins are so fine. Hail Mary throws are a 10% proposition at best, so every extra chance to take points from long range can matter. If Smack can turn those 50-yard kicks into routine attempts, and make enough of them, the Packers could gain a net positive special teams performance for the first time in ages.
That would not solve everything, but it would change the shape of games. Ahead of Week 1, that is exactly the kind of quiet advantage Green Bay will be hoping for.
