Charlie Smyth, an Irish kicker who joined the National Football League through the international player pathway program, made his debut on Sunday. With the New Orleans Saints since 2024, he made the most out of his first opportunity, showcasing poise and massive leg strength in his first start.
It was an impressive debut regardless of whether he was an IPP player or not, as the 56-yard field goal he kicked through the uprights was his first field goal attempt of his career. That ranks among the top five in terms of the longest made first field goal attempts in the NFL. He also successfully kicked an onside kick, something that only has a 4.7% success rate in 2025.
Following the game, Smyth gave all the credit to his teammates. "You're only able to develop as much whenever you can trust your operation, so like I don't have to worry about them (Long Snapper Zach Wood, Punter Kai Kroeger) ever because I know the ball is going to be perfectly set up," He said to the media. "Zach Wood is one of the best long snappers in the league, and Kai's a great holder, so I was just delighted to be able to knock it down."
It took Charlie Smyth three tries to win the Saints kicking job
Smyth battled with Cade York for the starting job. However, it wasn’t his first position battle, and it was actually his third. His first one was last year when he battled Blake Grupe for the job, but he ended up falling just short. Smyth also battled him for the job in August, however fell short yet again.
Now, he’ll be replacing Grupe, who struggled mightily in 2025, completing 18 of 26 field goal attempts (69.2%), 33rd among 34 eligible kickers in the NFL. The decision to move on was much overdue, but it wasn't an easy decision for the staff. That was evident by how long it took for Kellen Moore to make the move. Smyth's performance suggests Moore should have made the move much earlier.
Smyth was counted out once the Saints brought in York. There was kind of an assumption that they would turn to York since he was recently acquired. That wasn't the case, and Smyth immediately capitalized on the moment. He backed up the decision to move on from Grupe, not that it needed much validation, and delivered on the excitement many fans had in Smyth.