HEADLINES

Lucas Havrisik

Packers Sign K Lucas Havrisik

October 12th, 2025 at 3:02pm CST by Adam La Rose

OCTOBER 12: McManus is among the Packers’ inactives for today. As a result, it will indeed be Havrisik handling kicking duties for at least one game.

OCTOBER 11: With Brandon McManus‘ status in question, the Packers auditioned a pair of kickers earlier this week. One of those was Lucas Havrisik, and he now has a deal in place.

The Packers announced on Saturday that Havrisik has been signed to the active roster. That means he will be available to the team for tomorrow’s game against the Bengals. Green Bay had two open roster spots heading into today, making the decision to sign an insurance option a relatively easy one.

McManus is dealing with a quad injury, one head coach Matt LaFleur deemed a “major concern.” In spite of that, McManus said on Thursday he plans on playing in Week 6. In case that does not wind up happening, it will be Havrisik taking on kicking duties in his place. The Packers could have turned to International Player Pathway Program member Mark McNamee, but he will remain on the practice squad at this time.

Havrisik kicked in nine games for the Rams last season. During that period, the 26-year-old was perfect from within 40 yards. Beyond that distance, however, he only went four for nine; Havrisik also missed three of his 22 extra point attempts. His stock was boosted this spring during a spell with the UFL’s Arlington Renegades which included conversions on 22 of 25 field goal kicks.

The 2-1-1 Packers are coming off their bye week, and they will be expected to deliver a strong scoring output given the struggles of the Bengals’ defense. The kicking game may not be particularly relevant depending on how things play out, but it will nevertheless be interesting to see monitor McManus’ status for Sunday and beyond. In the event he misses any time, Green Bay’s contingency plan is in place.

Packers Audition Multiple Kickers

October 9th, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

With kicker Brandon McManus battling a quad injury, the Packers hosted Lucas Havrisik and Greg Joseph for workouts on Thursday, per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky.

McManus was injured in practice on Wednesday but said on Thursday that he still plans to play on Sunday against the Bengals, according to Demovsky. He referenced a similar injury in 2022 that he played through, albeit with a noticeable but not extreme impact on his performance. By the end of that season, he appeared to be back to full strength.

The Packers do have another kicker on their roster in Mark McNamee, an Ireland native who is part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. He made one of his two field goals and two of his three extra points in the preseason, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). It is not surprising that the Packers wanted to explore other options before trotting out such an inexperienced player in the regular season.

Havrisik’s only NFL experience came in 2023 with the Rams. He went 11-for-11 from inside 40 yards, but converted only four of his nine attempts from further out. Havrisik’s most recent action came with the UFL’s Arlington Renegades in 2025; he made 22 of his 25 attempts with a long of 54 yards.

Joseph is a much more experienced player with 75 appearances across his six-season career. He has a career conversion rate of 82.3% and made four of his nine field goals from 40 or more yards in 2024.

The Packers seem unsure of McManus’ status for Week 6. Head coach Matt LaFleur said (via Demovsky) before Thursday’s practice the kicker’s quad injury was a “major concern right now” and indicated that the veteran kicker was day-to-day, per Demovsky. However, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said (also via Demovsky) that he was “planning on McManus playing Sunday as of right now.”

A signing on Friday would be an indicator that McManus is at serious risk of missing the game, but he seems determined to play.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 10/31/24

October 31st, 2024 at 9:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

Thursday’s practice squad moves:

Buffalo Bills

Los Angeles Rams

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tennessee Titans

Bills Add K Lucas Havrisik To Practice Squad

October 17th, 2024 at 9:41am CST by Sam Robinson

A Bills kicker workout will lead to Tyler Bass competition. Lucas Havrisik has secured another opportunity, latching on with Buffalo’s practice squad Thursday.

Bass has missed three field goals this season, all from between 40 and 49 yards, and memorably missed a game-tying kick — albeit in windy conditions — in that range that would have potentially forced overtime against the Chiefs in the divisional round. While Bills GM Brandon Beane has offered a vote of confidence, the Bills have a backup plan in place.

Havrisik spent part of last season as the Rams’ kicker, but the team waived him just before the playoffs. A reserve/futures deal with the Browns did not lead to a spot on their 53-man roster out of training camp, but the Bills will offer an opportunity. Havrisik, 25, was not part of Buffalo’s kicker audition last month; Anders Carlson and Cade York took part in that mid-September workout.

A former Browns UDFA, Havrisik landed in Los Angeles once the Rams signed him off Cleveland’s P-squad. He made 15 of 20 field goals last season, albeit playing in a friendlier home environment compared to what Bass has dealt with in Buffalo, but struggled down the stretch. Havrisik missed field goals in consecutive games before shanking two extra points in Week 17 in New York. The Rams cut him and moved back to Brett Maher, who kicked in their wild-card outing.

An Arizona product from Riverside, Calif., Havrisik does not have too much experience kicking in cold weather — at least, not compared to Bass. The Bills signed Bass to a four-year, $20.4MM extension in 2023. No guaranteed money remains on the deal beyond 2024. Bass, 27, has been Buffalo’s kicker for the past five seasons. The Bills chose him in the 2020 sixth round out of Georgia Southern.

Bass signed his extension after making more than 87% of his field goal tries in 2021 and ’22. This preceded a 4-for-6 season from beyond 50 yards last year. But Bass joined Greg Zuerlein in struggling Monday on a windy night. Before Bass’ Chiefs miss, he also made just 1 of 3 attempts in the Bills’ wild-card win over the Steelers. After six more games of evidence this season, the Bills are preparing to move on if need be.

Packers Audition Kickers Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik

October 2nd, 2024 at 10:01am CST by Sam Robinson

Green Bay’s kicker plan is not off to a good start. After cutting both Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, the Packers have seen the player they ultimately chose — waiver claim Brayden Narveson — miss four field goals thus far this season.

Matt LaFleur expressed support for Narveson, despite his two-miss Week 4, but he is 9-for-13 thus far this season. And none of the misses have come from beyond 50 yards. Three misfires came from between 40 and 49, while Narveson has also missed from inside 40 yards to start his Packers tenure that could be short if he cannot turn it around soon.

LaFleur’s vote of confidence notwithstanding, ESPN.com’s Field Yates notes the Pack worked out two other options — Chad Ryland, Lucas Havrisik — who carry more experience. Ryland kicked for the Patriots in 2023, while Havrisik kicked in nine games for the Rams last season.

Before bailing on the kicker they chose in the 2023 draft, the Packers became the rare team to carry three kickers on its 90-man roster throughout training camp. The team had signed Joseph to push Carson but ended up dissatisfied with both. Narveson went to camp with the Titans, but the Packers had targeted him as a UDFA earlier this year. A waiver claim sent a player who kicked at three schools (Iowa State, Western Kentucky, NC State) to Wisconsin.

Ryland beat out Nick Folk for the Patriots job but lost a training camp battle to Joey Slye this summer. He was just 16-for-25 as a rookie, though a 56-yard game-winner did down the Broncos in Week 16. Havrisik was 15 of 20 for the Rams last season, but the team waived him just before the playoffs. Havrisik could not win the Browns’ job this summer.

The Packers do have Alex Hale, who vied with Joseph and Carlson for the job this offseason, on their practice squad. Teams do not make a habit of carrying two P-squad kickers. Unless Green Bay is looking to upgrade its Narveson competition on its taxi squad, the hunt for Narveson replacements is underway. It is safe to say the 25-year-old rookie is on notice.

Browns Cut K Lucas Havrisik, 15 Others

August 26th, 2024 at 5:24pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns began their journey toward a 53-man roster, cutting more than a dozen players Monday. Here is how Cleveland started its pre-cut-day odyssey:

Released:

  • LS Rex Sunahara

Waived:

Waived/injured:

  • S Chase Williams

The Browns only signed Havrisik late last week, and he kicked in their preseason finale. The team gave Dustin Hopkins an extension this offseason and moved on from Cade York — this time via trade (to the Commanders) — for a second straight summer. This left no doubt about Cleveland’s kicker situation. Havrisik kicked in nine games for the Rams last year.

Saylors and Robbins’ exits leave an injury-depleted running back room. The Browns are leaving Nick Chubb on their PUP list, shifting the Pro Bowler to the reserve/PUP; he will miss at least four games. Nyheim Hines is coming off Cleveland’s active/NFI list, making him eligible for Week 1. But he is not quite ready to practice despite his ACL tear — sustained in a jet-ski accident — occurring more than a year ago. Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong and D’Onta Foreman remain on the Browns’ active roster. Foreman also suffered a rib injury in the team’s preseason finale.

Some of these players could be practice squad candidates for the team, but Cleveland still has several players left to cut before reaching 53. Generally, the final cuts are more likely to end up on P-squads compared to the first wave.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/23/24

August 23rd, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Ely Allen

Friday’s minor transactions to wrap up the week:

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Waived (with injury settlement): WR Jaaron Hayek

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

NFL Workout Rumors: Dawkins, Lions, Akers

July 28th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Ely Allen

The name of recent UFL linebacker Noah Dawkins is starting to make the rounds in NFL camps. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Dawkins worked out recently with both the Cowboys and Bears.

Dawkins’ introduction to the NFL came in 2019 when he signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent following an impressive pro day at The Citadel. He was signed off the team’s practice squad to the Buccaneers active roster, appearing in 10 games without recording any defensive statistics. In the next three years, he spent time with the Jets and Bears.

He spent this past UFL season with the Michigan Panthers, totaling 35 tackles and an interception. He wasn’t part of the initial rush of players from the UFL getting NFL interest, but he seems to be growing in popularity. In addition to his recent workouts, Wilson reports that Dawkins has garnered interest from multiple other teams.

Here are a couple other workout rumors from around the NFL:

  • The Lions entered training camp with one of the league’s more intriguing position battles as Michael Badgley and UFL phenom Jake Bates duked it out for the kicking job in Detroit. The incumbent Badgley was forced out of the battle when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury on Thursday. Despite this setback, special teams coordinator Dave Fipp isn’t simply handing the job to Bates. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Fipp and the Lions brought in a slew of legs to compete with Bates this summer including Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisik, Matt McCrane, and Andre Szmyt. Bates was shining at points of his viral UFL campaign but got cold down the stretch. After Bates missed three of eight field goal attempts in practice yesterday, per Lions senior writer Tim Twentyman, it makes sense for Fipp to bring in some competition to keep the UFL star honest.
  • Former second-round running back Cam Akers has struggled to find his place in the NFL but recently signed with the Texans for his next opportunity. Interestingly, Wilson notes that, before his successful workout in Houston resulted in a contract, Akers was scheduled for a workout with the Raiders this past week. Akers has his chance now to battle for time behind Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce in Houston, but his chances may have been a bit better in Las Vegas. The Raiders have a few names in Zamir White, Alexander Mattison, and Ameer Abdullah, but White is relatively inexperienced with just four starts to his name, Mattison struggled in his first season of full-time starting duty last season in Minnesota, and Abdullah hasn’t eclipsed 200 yards rushing in a season since 2017. It’s interesting to see Akers sign with Houston when he may have had an opportunity for more playing time with the Raiders.

Minor NFL Transactions: 6/4/24

June 4th, 2024 at 8:03pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

  • Claimed off waivers (from Patriots): OL Andrew Stueber
  • Waived: WR JaQuae Jackson

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: LB Shayne Simon
  • Waived/injured: OL Tommy Doyle

Cleveland Browns

Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

After missing most of the past two seasons due to a knee injury, Ryan Jensen announced back in February that he was going to retire. The Buccaneers made the move official today, although that won’t be the end of their cap commitment to the offensive lineman. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports notes, since Jensen’s contract was pro-rated, the Buccaneers will be hit with a combined $16.6MM in dead cap over the next two seasons.

The Browns cleared up their depth chart a bit by cutting kicker Lucas Havrisik, leaving the organization with Dustin Hopkins and Cade York to compete for the starting job. Havrisik got into nine games with the Rams last season, connecting on 15 of his 20 field goal tries and 19 of his 22 extra points. In other kicker moves, the Commanders have added Ramiz Ahmed in the wake of the Brandon McManus release.

Load More Posts