{"id":184765,"date":"2026-05-09T11:48:50","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T11:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=184765"},"modified":"2026-05-09T11:48:50","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T11:48:50","slug":"%f0%9f%92%94-bombshell-just-3-hours-after-being-told-he-was-too-old-and-no-longer-valuable-to-the-packers-the-super-bowl-50-legend-who-gave-the-final-years-of-his-career-to-green","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=184765","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udc94 BOMBSHELL : Just 3 hours after being told he was \u201ctoo old\u201d and no longer valuable to the Packers, the Super Bowl 50 legend who gave the final years of his career to Green Bay quietly announced his retirement \u2014 ending a journey filled with sacrifice, pride, and heartbreak, a painful farewell that\u2019s hitting fans harder than anyone expected \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>Green Bay, Wisconsin \u2013 Just three hours after receiving notification from the Green Bay Packers leadership that he would be released because he was \u201ctoo old and no longer valuable,\u201d legendary kicker Brandon McManus made a shocking decision: he officially announced his retirement.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>Throughout the final chapter of his career with the Packers, McManus had become a symbol of professionalism and perseverance.<\/p>\n<p>Although he had only been with the Packers for a little more than one and a half seasons, he quickly won the affection of the fans with his clutch kicks and exemplary player attitude.<\/p>\n<p>McManus was an important member on the Packers\u2019 journey and the legend who made major contributions to help the Denver Broncos win\u00a0<strong>Super Bowl 50<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-full overflow-hidden py-4 ap-[in_content_1]\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<div id=\"div_adsconex_banner_responsive_3\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/23156761210\/cafex\/banner_responsive_3_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p><span class=\"article-image-wrapper my-4 block\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" mx-auto\" src=\"http:\/\/cdn.smarttraffic.today\/2026-05-09\/666-043e5157-fc6c-4999-9376-156d44544d62.png\" alt=\"Article image\" width=\"800\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>However, in a move that left many fans stunned, the Packers decided to cut him immediately after drafting young kicker Trey Smack in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft, citing their focus on building for the future and believing that McManus (34 years old) \u201cno longer fit into the long-term plan.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-full overflow-hidden py-4 ap-[in_content_2]\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<div id=\"js_adsconex_parallax_1\" class=\"\" data-type=\"parallax\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_ad-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_ad\" align=\"center\">\n<div id=\"div_adsconex_inpage_1\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/23156761210\/cafex\/inpage_1_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>\u201cThey told me that I was too old and no longer valuable. Those words made me very sad, but instead of harboring anger or bitterness, I chose to forgive,\u201d\u00a0<em>McManus shared in his retirement announcement<\/em>. \u201cI don\u2019t want to leave with any resentment. I just want to thank the Packers for giving me the opportunity to play football in one of the greatest places in the NFL. Green Bay welcomed me like a member of the family, and I will forever be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>Although he could have continued his career with many other teams, McManus chose to end his career in a noble way rather than move elsewhere. He did not let disappointment overshadow his legacy, but instead offered deep gratitude to the Packers organization and the fans.<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-full overflow-hidden py-4 ap-[in_content_3]\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<div id=\"div_adsconex_banner_responsive_4\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/23156761210\/cafex\/banner_responsive_4_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>McManus was not only an excellent kicker on the field; he was also a leader and a role model of professionalism and gratitude. Even though the Packers leadership may have chosen a new direction for the future, McManus\u2019s influence and the respect he receives in the Green Bay community have not diminished in the slightest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>With this retirement decision, Brandon McManus has closed a long and illustrious career \u2014 from the undrafted kid from Philadelphia in 2013 to a Super Bowl champion and a reliable kicker for the Packers in his final years. Instead of leaving with regret, he chose the path of forgiveness and gratitude.<\/p>\n<div class=\"w-full overflow-hidden py-4 ap-[in_content_4]\">\n<div class=\"w-full\">\n<div id=\"js_adsconex_parallax_2\" class=\"\" data-type=\"parallax\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_ad-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"adsconex-parallax_ad\" align=\"center\">\n<div id=\"div_adsconex_inpage_2\" data-google-query-id=\"\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/23156761210\/cafex\/inpage_2_0__container__\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph mb-[10px]\">\n<p>Brandon McManus\u2019s legacy will forever be etched in NFL history, especially with the Denver Broncos and the Green Bay Packers. Although his playing career has ended, he will always remain a legend in the hearts of Packers fans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paragraph \">\n<p><strong>Thank you, Brandon! Go Pack Go!<\/strong>\u00a0\ud83c\udfc8\ud83d\udc9a\ud83d\udc9b<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Green Bay, Wisconsin \u2013 Just three hours after receiving notification from the Green Bay Packers leadership that he would be released because he was \u201ctoo old and&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":184767,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-184765","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udc94 BOMBSHELL : Just 3 hours after being told he was \u201ctoo old\u201d and no longer valuable to the Packers, the Super Bowl 50 legend who gave the final years of his career to Green Bay quietly announced his retirement \u2014 ending a journey filled with sacrifice, pride, and heartbreak, a painful farewell that\u2019s hitting fans harder than anyone expected \ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47\ud83d\udc47 - 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