During the 2025 season, the New Orleans Saints lost four games by six or fewer points. In two of those games, at least one field goal was missed and in one, the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons, the three-point miss was greater than the difference of the game’s result, which was a 19-17 loss for New Orleans.
Improving both efficiency and confidence in place kicking can be the difference between winning and losing games for New Orleans in 2026.
The Saints made a switch at kicker from Blake Grupe to Charlie Smyth after Week 12 last season. That switch proved to be beneficial for New Orleans as the team improved its field goal percentage from 69.2% with Grupe to 75% with Smyth.
During Smyth’s tenure, the team won two games (Weeks 14 and 15) by a margin of four or fewer points in which the Irish kicker made at least one field goal and all of his extra point tries.
Going into 2026, the Saints will want to continue to see a rise in place-kicking efficiency. In order to secure that, the team has also brought in UFL boot Tanner Brown, who made 25 of his 28 regular season field goal attempts during the spring season. He was also perfect in the playoffs while sinking a total of three kicks from 60 or more yards.
The Saints are ensuring that they will give themselves the best opportunity to improve in this area by using competition to further drive Smyth’s promising development or giving themselves another option in Brown. Confidence in Smyth is high inside the building in particular.
Continuing to get back on the right side of the field goal conversation is a massive need for New Orleans, especially for a team whose average scoring margin over the last two years were minus-4.5 points and minus-3.5 points.
One or a pair of field goals could easily decide games for the Saints in 2026. Continued development and competition are necessities at kicker.
