The Green Bay Packers announced on Friday that the team has re-signed kicker Lucas Havrisik to the team’s practice squad. The Packers waived Havrisik earlier this week to make room for bringing up receiver Will Sheppard to the 53-man roster ahead of the Detroit Lions game on Thanksgiving. Sheppard never played an offensive or special teams snap in the game, but was on hand for emergency work with Jayden Reed still on the injured reserve and both Matthew Golden and Savion Williams missing the game with injuries of their own.

At some point, Reed will get called up to the 53-man roster, a roster spot that will likely be created by placing defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt on the injured reserve with an ankle injury. Wyatt was lost on Thursday, and the most recent update. claims that he has a fractured ankle, though the team is also looking at potential ligament damage, too. When Reed comes back, with Golden and Williams likely healthy after this “mini bye” leading up to the Packers’ next matchup against the Chicago Bears on December 7th, it seems like Sheppard will no longer be needed. That should free up another 53-man roster spot.

That’s one reason why the Packers’ placement of Havrisik on the practice squad, rather than the 53-man roster, is interesting. If they wanted to, Green Bay could have added Havrisik back to the active roster and just sent Sheppard back down to the practice squad, instead, assuming that Sheppard would have cleared through waivers.

The Packers did not need to make a corresponding roster move for the Havrisik signing, as Sheppard’s promotion opened up a roster spot on the practice squad. If Green Bay does put Sheppard on the practice squad down the line, though, they will need to make room on the practice squad, even if that means promoting another player to the 53-man roster. For what it’s worth, the Packers called up linebacker Jamon Johnson and cornerback/safety Jaylin Simpson to the gameday roster last week against the Lions, but both were brought up because of short-term injuries at the position.

Like Sheppard, Simpson did not play in the game at all. Meanwhile, Johnson played some special teams reps, as Isaiah McDuffie, who is typically the team’s third linebacker and a heavy special teams contributor, was limited in the kicking game. McDuffie’s reps were low on special teams against the Lions because he was the starting Mike linebacker in place of the injured Quay Walker.

Havrisik has made all four of his field goal attempts in 2025, including a franchise record-breaking 61-yarder against the Arizona Cardinals, but his last showing included him missing two PATs against the New York Giants. It seems clear that the Packers are moving forward with Brandon McManus, who has been shaky this year after pushing through a quad injury. Last season, McManus was nearly perfect, which led to him receiving a three-year contract this offseason.