Irish NFL kickers Charlie Smyth and Jude McAtamney have missed out on the final 53-man rosters for their respective teams but will remain on the practice squads meaning a call-up could be on the cards at some point this season.
With all 32 NFL teams trimming their roster back to 53 players ahead of the start of the regular season next Thursday (5th September), there was bad news for Irish NFL fans when it was announced yesterday that the New Orleans Saints had placed former Down goalkeeper Smyth on waivers.
This meant that other teams had 24 hours to claim him for free or, if the Saints chose not to re-sign him, he would become a free agent. This is despite Smyth impressing in pre-season, including nailing a game-winning kick in his side’s 16-14 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
However, the 2009 Super Bowl champions are carrying just one kicker on their roster in the form 25 year-old Blake Grupe. This means that, should the Notre Dame graduate pick up an injury or if head coach Dennis Allen wields the changes, Smyth is waiting in the wings to take over. Notably, because Smyth came through the International Pathway Program, he does not count towards the numbers on the 17-man practice squad, meaning he is even more likely to stick in Louisiana.
McAtamney finds himself in a similar position as he is the number two kicker on the New York Giants’ roster. The Swatragh man who graduated from the prestigious Rutgers University and was selected as an undrafted free agent earlier this summer also impressed in pre-season. In particular, in the game against his team’s in-state rivals the Jets where, although they lost 10-6, he kicked two field goals to account for all of his team’s points.
The former Derry minor footballer will be backing up and learning from the experienced 37 year-old Graham Gano who played his first season back in 2009 when McAtamney was only nine years old.
The 2024/25 NFL season gets underway next Thursday night/Friday morning for Irish fans with the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs - who cut former Wales rugby international Louis Rees-Zammit - taking on the Baltimore Ravens at 01:20 IST with Smyth’s Saints and McAtamney’s Giants both kicking off at a more Irish-friendly time of 18:00 on the Sunday (8th) against the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings respectively.