Kicker Smyth waived by New Orleans Saints
Kicker Charlie Smyth has been waived by the New Orleans Saints ahead of the new NFL season after losing a kicking competition with Dan Carlson.
New Orleans Saints have released kicker Charlie Smyth just before the start of the new NFL season. The 25-year-old, a former Gaelic footballer from Northern Ireland, had taken over as the team's kicker from Blake Grupe in November. In the previous season, Smyth successfully made all his 13 extra-point attempts, going 12 for 16 on field goals.
However, with the arrival of two-time All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson, Smyth found himself out of a job. In the final pre-season game against the Dallas Cowboys, Carlson had two field goals, including the decisive one from 53 yards, while Smyth managed to convert only one extra point. Even though Smyth's NFL career may have ended, he still has a chance to stay with the Saints on the practice roster or become available for other teams as the NFL cut-off for roster signings approaches.
Smyth acknowledged the intense competition in the NFL and expressed that he would not let any signings affect him personally. Meanwhile, Carlson, who joined the Saints after the pre-season games, had been enjoying his best years in 2021 and 2022, with an impressive 81.5% success rate from field goals in 2021. The Saints kick off their regular season on September 13th against the Detroit Lions.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Sport's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
