Let’s add some more intrigue to the Green Bay Packers’ kicking situation this summer. A few months after drafting Trey Smack in the 6th round of the 2026 NFL Draft and releasing veteran Brandon McManus, the Packers are making another swap in the specialist room.
After working out German kicker Lenny Krieg on Monday, the team is signing him to the 90-man roster, as first reported by Bill Huber of SI. This move puts Krieg into the summer competition along with Smack, moving forward with a pair of youngsters
with no NFL experience.
That competition remains a two-man fight, however. Lucas Havrisik will not be part of the battle, as Tom Silverstein reports that the team has waived him in order to make room for Krieg on the roster. Havrisik was a great story and set a Packers franchise record with a 61-yard field goal last season, but he was unable to hold onto the kicking job despite McManus’ ongoing injury issues around midseason.
A major benefit to the Packers in the long term is the fact that Krieg could qualify for an International Player Pathway exemption due to his being from Germany. The Berlin native picked up football a few years ago after playing soccer in his youth, and if the Packers designate him as their IPP player, he would qualify for a bonus 91st roster spot this offseason and an extra practice squad spot should the team elect to sign him to that part of the roster during the regular season.
That could allow the team to keep Krieg in the organization on the practice squad without taking up a normal spot, should they keep Smack on the 53-man roster as their #1 kicker after training camp. Krieg could then develop while providing some injury insurance for Smack at the same time. Still, this sets up to be a real competition between the two players once practices begin on Wednesday.
Currently, the Packers have applied their IPP designation to Dante Barnett, an edge rusher from England. However, the team can change which player receives that designation in the future. Thus, if Barnett does not end up making the team or the practice squad in the regular season, the team could shift the IPP status to Krieg at a later date.
