Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
By Ross Jackson
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The New Orleans Saints have their next kicker.
The team announced Saturday that it will elevate practice squad kicker Charlie Smyth for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.
Charlie Smyth is being elevated for Gameday. He will be the kicker for the #Saints.
— Ross Jackson (@RossJacksonNOLA) November 29, 2025
Smyth and newly signed boot Cade York battled for the right to follow former kicker Blake Grupe for the role. Grupe was released earlier in the week after missing a pair of field goals against the Atlanta Falcons in the team’s Week 12 loss to the division rivals. Grupe converted just 69.2% of his field goal kicks over the first 12 weeks of the season.
Smyth and York were pitted against one another both in field goal reps and kickoff drills during the team’s Thursday practice. Special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said that both kickers performed well. “… it’s making the decision really difficult,” he said Thursday.
Smyth has not yet kicked in the regular season, but he has a perfect 5/5 on attempts in the 2024 and 2025 preseason games including going 2/2 from 50 or more yards out. He was also a perfect 2/2 on extra point tries.
The Northern Irish leg is a part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program, and has been working hard to develop behind the scenes in New Orleans. He won a kicking competition at an offseason kicking camp and has caught the attention of many with his long-distance kicks on social media. Honing in his technique and accuracy have been, and will continue to be, a focus when it comes to his continued growth.
How do you go from NEVER having kicked an American Football, to inside a year having your first ever kick be in a @nfl game, for the win?
Sounds impossible.
Charlie Smyth 🇮🇪 of @Saints showed it’s possible.How he did it in the comments below + vids. #leaderkicking #NFLIPP pic.twitter.com/BJQ3NSnlIU
— Tadhg Leader (@TadhgLeader) August 12, 2024
The elevation means that Smyth will be the team’s kicker for Week 13, but he’ll have to earn each start as the deal goes along. With six weeks of the season left, Smyth and York each have three elevations available for game days. It would make sense that the Saints could focus on getting looks at both boots. But if Smyth can perform consistently from the start, he gets first crack at holding off York through the rest of the year.
Smyth’s roster exemption remains intact through his elevations, giving New Orleans maximum roster flexibility.
