In a rare special teams addition, the Gaelic football goalkeeper Charlie Smyth has joined with the New Orleans Saints.
At the age of 22, Smyth becomes the first Irishman to ever ink a contract with an NFL team. Through the International Player Pathway (IPP), he was able to make his way to the NFL. Smyth was a goalie for Down GAA prior to joining the NFL.
In 2023, the kicker Blake Grupe and the New Orleans Saints were among the lowest teams in the league. Grupe completed 30 of his 37 field goals attempts, for an 81.1% success rate.
His accuracy rating of 81.1% placed him in 28th place in the league. Only five of the kickers who participated in all 17 games had a lower accuracy percentage.
Grupe attempted 19 field goals from more than 40 yards; he missed five of them. Although he had a long of 55 yards, the Saints added Charlie Smyth as competition because of his inconsistent performance from long range.
Charlie Smyth, the recently signed kicker for the Saints, might challenge for the starting role. Smyth’s expectations are not too great considering Grupe’s lack of consistency in 2023.
Smyth will outperform Grupe’s 2023 attempt if he can play the position of middle-of-the-road kicker for the Saints. Smyth just became well-known on social media after making a flawless 63-yard field goal against strong wind.
It remains to be seen if Smyth can produce at the kicker position in an NFL game, but he undoubtedly has what it takes to be a top-tier NFL kicker.
