Canal Street Chronicles
An update on the kicking battle in New Orleans.
There’s more than a quarterback battle happening for the New Orleans Saints. Both specialists, the kickers and punters, are facing their own position battles this offseason.
For the kickers, it’s the same two as last year: Blake Grupe and Charlie Smyth.
Grupe signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has been their kicker ever since. Coming off a shaky rookie season in which he went 30/37 (81.1%) on field goal attempts, placing him 27th in the league, his sophomore season was far better. In 2024, Grupe went 27/31 (87.1%), ranking 15th in the league.
Interestingly, he has participated in a position battle every offseason. During his rookie year, he faced Will Lutz first, then Charlie Smyth, and now Smyth again in 2025. And luckily for him, he seems set to make it four victories in a row. On the first day of minicamp (the Saints rotate), he made all six of his field goals.
Charlie Smyth is someone that was not born into football. In fact, he wasn’t even born in the United States. Smyth was born in Mayobridge, Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland.
His first sport was Gaelic football (a team sport primarily played in Ireland that combines elements of soccer and rugby), which he’s played since he was four years old. In 2024, he was selected to participate in the NFL player pathway program. Due to him being an international player, the Saints were able to keep him on the team after deciding to go with Blake Grupe in 2024. That was all in hopes to give him another year of American football under his belt.
So far this offseason, he’s shown improvement. On the second day of minicamp, he only made 5/6 of his field goals but reportedly made one from 61 yards with room to spare.
The battle isn’t done, just paused. The two will get back at it when training camp begins for the Saints on July 22nd.
