Trey Smack adjusts to Packers kicker pressure after surge
Rookie Trey Smack is adjusting to Packers kicking pressure after converting 16 of 19 attempts since Family Night, including two 58-yarders at Pittsburgh. The sixth-round pick faces franchise scrutiny at the position as veterans push him ahead of the regular season.
Key Takeaways
- Smack has made 16 of 19 field goals since Family Night on Aug. 7, including a pair of 58-yarders in the preseason opener at Pittsburgh.
- Green Bay is on its fifth kicker in three seasons after moving on from Mason Crosby, with last season’s blocks and playoff misses still fresh.
- All-Pro safety Xavier McKinney has told Smack to “just make the kick” nearly 20 times since the rookie arrived.
- Coach Matt LaFleur stopped practice officials from signaling makes or misses and weighs stadium kicks over windy Nitschke Field reps.
- GM Brian Gutekunst labeled the Steelers outing “good performance for one day” as attention turned to Denver.
Why does Trey Smack face so much pressure in Green Bay?
For more than three decades the Packers had rare stability at kicker. That ended after the club moved on from franchise scoring leader Mason Crosby, and Smack learned he was Green Bay’s fifth kicker in three seasons before even reporting for rookie orientation.
Last season left scars that still shape the room: a blocked field goal in Cleveland, blocked extra points in Dallas, and three missed kicks in a playoff loss at Chicago. Smack, drafted in the sixth round, is one of the few Packers without that baggage—yet he still feels the heat.
Locker neighbor Xavier McKinney has made the standard clear. “I’m on his ass every day,” McKinney said, adding that every kick matters, whether it is 35 or 50 yards. Smack estimated he has heard McKinney’s “just make the kick” refrain close to 20 times. “No, he’s dead serious,” Smack said. “And I’m dead serious too.”
Long snapper Matt Orzech warned him early that Green Bay charts every attempt. “I picked up on it pretty quick once OTAs started,” Smack said, noting even practice kicks were tracked. Fans tracking preseason coverage can follow more Streaming & TV Alerts as kickers become the story.
How has Trey Smack performed since Family Night?
A slow camp start flipped after Family Night on Aug. 7. Per Packers News, Smack has converted 16 of 19 since then, including two 58-yarders in the preseason opener at Pittsburgh. The first 58-yarder was wiped by a roughing-the-snapper penalty but still charted.
The Athletic reported he entered that game 20-of-28 in camp and officially hit from 37, 58, and 38 yards, with another 58 nullified. On Family Night and the opener combined, he was 10-of-11 counting the wiped make. Jordan Love called the night’s kicking “definitely the highlight,” and LaFleur said clearing two long attempts in one game was “pretty incredible.”
Packers.com’s Inbox also framed Smack as the star of the Steelers matchup, praising the outdoor 58-yarders and noting his kickoffs landed in the landing zone—an upgrade from last year’s sore spot. Gutekunst stayed measured: one strong day matters, but staying steady matters more.
Can Trey Smack handle success heading into Denver?
As Green Bay traveled to face the Broncos in its second preseason game on Aug. 21, the challenge shifted from surviving early misses to managing a hot streak. Asked about Pittsburgh after an Aug. 19 practice, Smack said his focus had already moved to Denver.
LaFleur has tried to keep the noise down—limiting good/miss signals after one field-goal period and stressing that stadium kicks count more than Ray Nitschke Field’s winds. Smack is also rewriting his technique for Wisconsin weather, trading Florida’s high, humid ball for a lower drive that cuts through dry, cold air.
“That’s just going to be my new ball,” he said. Punter Daniel Whelan summed up the job: kickers “either make it or they don’t.” For a franchise eyeing a Super Bowl, Smack’s right foot may decide how far that push goes—and everyone in Green Bay knows it.