Smyth’s 2025 Struggles: Could This Be the End of the Road?
Charlie Smyth’s journey from the rolling hills of Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, to the unforgiving turf of the NFL isn’t your run-of-the-mill tale. At just 24, he’s already kicked into the spotlight as the New Orleans Saints’ starting kicker this season. But here’s the twist — despite nailing some clutch moments, including a last-gasp winner against Carolina and tying a franchise record with five field goals against the Jets, Smyth isn’t ready to pop the champagne just yet. Joining the Saints through the NFL’s international player pathway programme, he’s grown from a practice squad hopeful in 2024 to locking down a three-year deal, all while grappling with the harsh realities of the sport’s cutthroat nature. The rookie sensation knows the clock is ticking, and that perfection — hitting that 85-90% success rate — is the only way he’s going to stick around. It’s a story of grit, adjustment, and relentless drive — setting the stage for what promises to be a fascinating career ahead. LEARN MORE
New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth says he does not believe he has “made it” despite becoming an NFL starter this season.
The 24-year-old, from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, made his regular season debut against the Miami Dolphins in November and was the Saints’ kicker for the final six games of their campaign.
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He made 12 of 16 field goals, with a long of 57 yards, for the side who missed the play-offs with a 6-11 record in the NFC South, while also adding all 13 extra points he attempted.
The former Gaelic footballer authored some memorable moments along the way, most notably when kicking the game-winner with six seconds remaining against the Carolina Panthers and later tying a franchise record with five made field goals against the New York Jets.
Having originally joined the Saints’ practice squad in 2024 as part of the NFL’s international player pathway programme, he was elevated to the 53-man roster for the first time last month and rewarded with a new three-year contract.
Even in an NFL season that featured 44-year-old quarterback Philip Rivers coming out of retirement five years after his last appearance, Smyth securing a starting role less than two years after his first ever game in the sport ranks as one of the most unlikely stories of the campaign.
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Rather than embrace his newfound fame at the end of his rookie season, Smyth has already switched focus to ensuring he can have a long career in the sport.
“You come home and people nearly see you as someone different. People at home are bigging you up, but I’m not thinking I’ve made it, I haven’t,” he told the GAA Social, the BBC’s Gaelic games podcast.
“I don’t feel like people at home really understand the standards. If I want to keep my job, if I want to be an NFL kicker for as long as my right leg allows me to be, there’s a standard where you need to be 85 to 90%, or really good in moments.
“I think I went 12-for-16 on the stats. That’s not going to cut it long term.”
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Even while new to the sport, Smyth has already been exposed to the ruthless nature of the NFL, first in how the Saints cut their previous starter of three years, Blake Gruppe, to open up their starting spot, and also in how his compatriot Jude McAtamney was treated after costly mistakes for the New York Giants.
McAtamney, who like Smyth is a former Gaelic footballer, but one who played American football in college, missed two extra-points in a 33-32 defeat by the Denver Broncos in October and was released by the Giants without making another appearance.
Smyth says it was “tough” to see how McAtamney was treated in the press and on social media in the aftermath.
“The highs are high and the lows are low,” he said.
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“I miss that kick against Carolina, and maybe I’m not sitting here right now [as an NFL player]. That’s the nature of the sport.
“These contracts, there’s nothing guaranteed. The Saints could cut me tomorrow and they don’t owe me any money.”
While Smyth had to bounce back from misses of his own, he feels he can be proud that he produced his best when it was “needed” most, such as that kick against the Panthers, but is now targeting an improvement in his overall percentage next season.
After making “quite a big adjustment” to his kicking technique two weeks before ascending to the top job last season, he is hoping to iron things out before the 2026 campaign and become more consistent moving forward.
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“None of the misses were down to nerves. There’s things that I want to work on,” he added.
“I feel like those misses in the last two games will drive me on to get better.
“There was a part of me, especially from the left-hash that didn’t feel amazing [after making adjustments]. That’s what the main work-ons are this off-season.
“There’s one side thinking you should be incredibly proud of yourself, but the other that the standard is the standard. That’s what’s going to keep you in, being driven.”
You can listen to the GAA Social with Charlie Smyth on BBC Sounds.
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