The New Orleans Saints have made a loud statement this pre-season, signing two-time All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson to compete for the starting kicking role, a move that puts even more heat on incumbent Charlie Smyth heading into the final stretch before the regular season. The signing, confirmed this week, signals that the Saints coaching staff under Kellen Moore are not willing to gamble on consistency at one of football’s most pressure-laden positions.
A Crowded Room Gets Even Tighter
Smyth, the 25-year-old from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland who made the remarkable leap from Gaelic football to the NFL, entered pre-season as the established starter after he took over from Blake Grupe back in November. That story alone is the kind that writes itself, a young man crossing an ocean and a sporting culture to compete at the highest level of American football. But sport, especially the NFL, has no room for sentimentality.
The Saints had already dipped into the market in June, bringing in Tanner Brown, a 26-year-old who had been playing for the Louisville Kings in the United Football League. The plan seemed clear enough: push Smyth, see who blinks. But Brown’s pre-season debut did not go to plan. He missed a 39-yard field goal attempt during the Saints’ defeat to the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday, a miss that, at that distance, will have raised eyebrows in the coaching booth.
Smyth, for his part, was not without fault either. A week before Brown’s miss, Smyth himself failed from 52 yards in a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was his only missed field goal attempt of the pre-season, but in a competition this tight, a single error can be the difference between a contract and a plane ticket home. You can read BBC Sport’s full coverage of the situation for more on how this three-way battle is developing.
Who Is Daniel Carlson?
If you are going to bring in competition, bring in someone who has earned their stripes. Carlson, now 31, has done exactly that. Originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018, he was waived during his rookie year and picked up by the then Oakland Raiders, a career pivot that, in hindsight, set him on a path toward excellence.
His peak years came in 2021 and 2022. In 2021 he earned second-team All-Pro honours. A year later, he went one better with a first-team All-Pro selection. Those are not participation trophies. That is elite-level recognition in one of the most competitive leagues on the planet.
What makes Carlson’s profile particularly interesting is his durability. He has not missed a single game across the past seven seasons, an iron-man record that coaches prize almost as much as accuracy. Reliability at kicker is often undervalued until the moment a team does not have it. That said, Carlson’s 81.5% field goal success rate from last season was his lowest since 2019, which may explain why he found himself available and why the Saints felt the move made sense without being a panic buy.
Smyth’s Attitude Speaks Volumes
What separates the players who survive NFL roster battles from those who do not is often mental composure more than raw ability. Smyth appears to understand the game within the game. Speaking to BBC NI earlier this month, he addressed the competition directly, saying that it is simply the way things work in this business and that he would not be taking any new signings personally.
That kind of measured response matters. The Saints signed Smyth to a three-year contract last season, which gives him some structural security, but NFL contracts are famously fragile in the face of performance concerns. His numbers from last season, 12 of 16 field goals converted, along with a perfect 13 for 13 on extra-point attempts, are respectable but not untouchable. An 81.3% field goal conversion rate from a starter invites scrutiny, and the Saints are clearly scrutinising.
What the Numbers Say
Smyth’s conversion rate from last season sits broadly in line with league averages, but the NFL increasingly demands more from its kickers, particularly as the position has become more analytically driven. Carlson, at his best, operated well above that threshold. The question now is whether the version of Carlson who shows up in New Orleans looks more like his 2021 or 2022 self, or whether the dip in 2025 reflects something more structural about where he is in his career.
Brown, meanwhile, faces the most precarious situation of the three. A missed short-to-medium range kick in pre-season, combined with the arrival of a player of Carlson’s calibre, leaves him with very little runway. The UFL to the NFL is already a significant jump. The UFL to the NFL while competing against a former All-Pro is a different challenge entirely.
Moore’s Message Is Clear
Head coach Kellen Moore has, whether intentionally or not, sent a message with this signing. Kicking is not an afterthought for this Saints team. The Saints want to go into the regular season with the best possible option under centre and between the uprights. Bringing in Carlson mid-pre-season is a calculated pressure move, one that forces every candidate to perform without a safety net.
For Smyth, the next few weeks are not just about field goals. They are about proving that his journey from Gaelic football pitches in County Down to NFL stadiums in America is more than a great story, that it is a sustained, high-level career. The Saints are watching. So is everyone else.
Who do you think wins the Saints’ kicking job when the roster cuts are finalised? Carlson’s pedigree, Smyth’s hunger, or a dark horse? Drop your take in the comments below.
