The Green Bay Packers found a bright spot in an otherwise frustrating season opener in rookie kicker Trey Smack.
Apparently, Smack was far less impressed with himself.
Asked this week by FOX 11’s Vince Lovergine how he evaluated his NFL debut against the Minnesota Vikings, Smack offered a blunt self-assessment after converting all three of his field-goal attempts.
“Partially did my job, partially did not,” Smack said in a video Lovergine shared on X. “I’ll give myself a C+ for that game, B-.”
That is a demanding grade for a debut that included a 59-yard field goal, the second-longest make in Packers history.
Smack’s 59-Yarder Made Packers History
Smack’s first regular-season field-goal attempt was hardly a soft introduction.
After the Packers’ opening drive stalled, he came out for a 59-yarder at U.S. Bank Stadium and drilled it to give Green Bay a 3-0 lead.
The Packers’ official game recap noted that the kick was the second-longest field goal in franchise history, trailing only Lucas Havrisik’s 61-yarder against Arizona in 2025.
Smack added makes from 43 and 26 yards, finishing 3-for-3 on field goals. His lone blemish came after Jordan Love connected with Watson for an 81-yard touchdown. Smack pushed the ensuing extra-point attempt off target.
His complete special-teams line gives more context to the self-grade.
NFL.com credited Smack with one touchback on six kickoffs, with five kicks returned for an average of 35.8 yards. Minnesota repeatedly generated favorable field position in the 39-22 win.
Still, the field-goal portion of the debut was close to flawless.
Smack accounted for 10 of Green Bay’s 22 points and showed that the power he displayed throughout the summer has worked out in the regular season thus far.
Packers’ Bet on Smack Showing Early Promise
Green Bay made a notable expenditure in Smack before he ever landed at training camp. The Packers sent two seventh-round picks to the Seattle Seahawks to move up to No. 216 overall and select the Florida kicker with the final pick of the sixth round in April.
Smack brought a long-distance action with him.
Packers.com reported that he went 10-for-13 from 50-plus yards during his Florida career, including 5-for-6 from that range in his final college season. He finished his career 53-for-64 on field goals and 100-for-101 on extra points.
The strong leg kept showing up in August.
Smack went 3-for-3 in the preseason opener against Pittsburgh, hitting from 37, 58 and 38 yards. He then made another 59-yarder against Denver and finished the preseason without a missed field goal.
Green Bay cleared the veteran competition early in the offseason when it released Brandon McManus in May, assisting Smack en route to claiming the job.
The missed extra point and kickoff results explain why Smack was unwilling to hand himself an A after Week 1. His standard appears to be higher than simply surviving his first NFL game.
Presuming the 59-yarder is any indication, the Packers may have found the kind of long-range weapon they were hoping for when they tossed draft capital to secure him.
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