IRISHMAN Daniel Whelan ‘earned his place’ on the roster, according to the Green Bay Packers’ general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Speaking at a press conference, Gutekunst addressed the roster moves made ahead of the 2023 NFL season.
One of those moves was to make punter Daniel Whelan, from Enniskerry, County Wicklow, the first active Irish NFL player in 38 years.
“It was a tough decision but Daniel came in and he earned it,” said Gutekunst, who is entering his sixth year as the Packers’ general manager.
“Both him and Pat (O’Donnell, the previous punter) had great camps.”
Pat O’Donnell had spent the previous season at the Green Bay Packers, winning the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after an impressive display against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Gutekunst said: “I’m sure Daniel learned a lot from Pat’s time here.
“When you bring in a guy like Daniel, who hasn’t got a lot of experience, you don’t know what you’re getting.”
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Whelan, 24, was picked up by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent out of college but did not play a single snap for them.
However, since impressing in the XFL and training camp, he played a part in three of the Packers’ preseason games, punting twice a game and earning his spot as, potentially, the team's starting punter.
“Every step along the way, he had a nice camp and earned the job,” said Gutekunst, as he faced questions on Whelan v O’Donnell and the risk of having both a kicker and punter with no NFL experience.
“We had a really competitive camp and we’re looking for the guys who perform the best.”
The Green Bay Packers take on their NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday, September 10, at 9:25 pm, and is available to stream on NFL Game Pass via DAZN.