Looks like the New Orleans Saints have seen Blake Grupe struggling long enough, officially releasing him on Tuesday. In an effort to fix the kicking woes that have been hampering the team this season, they signed Cade York, who has yet to kick for a team this year.
For Grupe, this has been a long time coming. He's been struggling all year, and after missing two field goals last week against the Atlanta Falcons, enough was enough for the coaching staff.
Heading into that game, he was already statistically the worst kicker in the NFL, and his performance on Sunday nearly solidified that. This season, Grupe has made 18 field goals on 26 attempts (69.2 percent), which is 33rd out of 34 eligible kickers.
It's a fall from grace for Grupe, who beat out former Saints player Will Lutz for the kicking duties in New Orleans his rookie year as an undrafted free agent. Now, he'll be looking for a second chance in the big leagues.
New Orleans Saints fans should already be very familiar with the team's new kicker
Cade York already has familiarity with the Crescent City, having attended LSU from 2019-2021. A star in Baton Rouge, he has faced some struggles in the National Football League and has been the definition of a journeyman.
Drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, he has since been on four other teams in the NFL.
His time in Cleveland probably ended a little prematurely, as he got released after some tough preseason games in 2023. Then, after signing with the Tennessee Titans practice squad, the New York Giants would pick him up.
However, his time in the Big Apple was also short because he injured his quad and was put on injured reserve just a month after being brought on.
Last year, he started the season with the Washington Commanders, but after missing two field goals in the season opener, he was given the boot.
Later in 2024, the Cincinnati Bengals would sign him after suffering an injury to their starting kicker. He would have a much better time in the Jungle and make 81.8 percent of his field goals.
In his career, York has made 73.3 percent of his field goals and has zero controversies surrounding him. Here's hoping that after going through five teams in the NFL, the sixth one is the charm for the young kicker, who is still just 24-years-old.