The Green Bay Packers’ stunning collapse against the Chicago Bears in the NFC wild-card round will be remembered for years, and Brandon McManus sits at the center of it.
A game that once felt comfortably in hand unraveled kick by kick as Green Bay squandered a 21-3 halftime lead and walked out of Soldier Field with a season-ending 31-27 loss. Three missed kicks translated into seven lost points, and in a playoff game decided by four, the margin was unforgiving.
McManus opened the door just before halftime. With the Packers driving and controlling the tempo, a successful 55-yard field goal would have stretched the lead to 24-3 and likely changed the second-half approach for both teams.
The miss kept Chicago alive and allowed momentum to linger into the locker room. That sense of unease grew louder in the fourth quarter.
After Matthew Golden’s touchdown pushed Green Bay ahead 27-16, McManus failed on the extra point attempt. What should have been an 11-point cushion instead became a manageable one-score situation.
The Bears, energized by the reprieve, leaned into their running game and quick passing concepts to close the gap.
The defining moment arrived with 2:56 left. Nursing a 27-24 advantage, the Packers lined up for a 44-yard field goal that would have forced Chicago to chase a touchdown. McManus missed again. Caleb Williams took over, carving through the defense and delivering the decisive score, flipping the pressure entirely onto Green Bay’s offense.
Fallout from a game decided by the kicker
The performance ignited immediate reaction across the football world. ESPN personality Skip Bayless unleashed a familiar frustration with the role of specialists.
“I HATE KICKING. DOESN’T BELONG IN FOOTBALL. SUCH A SILLY GIMMICK. REAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS BATTLE IT FOR 60 MINUTES … AND IT COMES DOWN TO TRYING TO KICK THE BALL OFF THE GROUND BETWEEN TWO POLES.”
Bayless‘ critique echoed a long-running debate about how much influence kickers wield in games built on physical dominance and strategy. Coaches around the league, however, continue to emphasize that special teams remain a third of the sport, not an accessory.
Inside the Packers locker room, the tone was far more somber. McManus faced reporters and offered a raw assessment of his night.
“The biggest disappointment of my career,” he said. “It was an embarrassment of a performance.
“It’s disappointing. My role on the team is to make kicks and these guys pour in thousands of plays over the course of the season and I leave seven points on the board today. The most disappointing point of my career ever.”
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, McManus entered the postseason having converted over 85 percent of his field goals during the regular season, including multiple makes from beyond 50 yards. That track record explains why Green Bay trusted him in those moments and why the misses were so jarring.
The loss also raises roster questions. McManus remains under contract through 2027, but financial flexibility looms large for a Packers team balancing extensions for young stars.
League cap analysts have noted that moving on would save roughly $2 million in 2026 cap space while absorbing $3.3 million in dead money, a decision that would hinge on how the front office weighs reliability versus cost.
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