The special teams unit for the New Orleans Saints is a group the team is hoping to see improved play from in 2026.
All major special teams areas,the place kicking, return and coverage games, underwhelmed last season. New Orleans fell to some of the lowest ranks in important metrics like net punting average, field goal percentage and starting field position differential.
Each had major impacts in the team’s 2025 season, both situationally and in regards to scoring potential.
Going into training camp, the Saints are hoping to see vastly improved efforts thanks to continuity, offseason investments and competition.
The Names
- Charlie Smyth (Kicker)
- Tanner Brown (Kicker)
- Ryan Wright (Punter)
- Zach Wood (Long Snapper)
Top Storyline
New Orleans’ former punter Kai Kroeger (since traded to the Houston Texans) finished No. 28 in average yards per punt and No. 30 in net yards per punt while tying for the league’s lead with two of his attempts being blocked. He also ranked toward the bottom of the league with only 18 punts landing inside the 20 and fair catches forced.
Simply put: the punting game as bad for New Orleans last year. It’s no wonder why the team went out and signed Wright, making him one of the highest-paid punters in the NFL.
Weight became the team’s first free agency signing at the position since 2008 (an in-season replacement), and the Saints are looking to him to drastically improve the punting situations they’ve fielded in recent years.
Most Intriguing Battle: Kicker Competition
The Saints finished the season with the NFL’s lowest field goal percentage, converting just 71.4% of their attempts after a late-season switch from former kicker Blake Grupe (now with the Indianapolis Colts) to Smyth, the team improved from a 69.2% success rate to 75%.
An improvement, but one that still has a ceiling to reach. Smyth, who converted the third-longest debut field goal in NFL history in his first game and tied a franchise record (5) for most field goals in a single game, will now face competition after the Saints’ signing of Brown from the UFL.
The kicker’s spring season was remarkably impressive. Brown converted 25 of his 28 field goal attempts in 2026. He was also a perfect 4/4 in the playoffs. Among his 32 total kicking attempts, he converted three from 60 or more yards away.
Competition won’t be new for Smyth, however. The Irish kicker competed with Grupe on multiple occasions while also winning competitions against veteran kickers like Justin Tucker during a tryout and former LSU boot Cade York, who was signed after the team moved on from Grupe.
