A former Gaelic football goalkeeper from Northern Ireland, Charlie Smyth became the first Irish player to sign an NFL contract and hit a 56-yard field goal in his debut.
Charlie Smyth is a placekicker for the Saints and a product of the NFL's International Player Pathway program, having never played American football before joining the league from Gaelic football. Barely two years after picking up the sport, he was drilling game-winning kicks in the NFL.
Path to the league
Smyth played Gaelic football as a goalkeeper at the senior level for the Down county team in Northern Ireland before joining the NFL's International Player Pathway Program in 2024. He signed with the New Orleans Saints and spent time developing as a kicker before earning a spot on the active roster.
Career highlights
Smyth became the first player from Northern Ireland to sign an NFL contract via the International Player Pathway. In his NFL debut, he connected on a 56-yard field goal and a successful onside kick, and he later drilled a game-winning 47-yard field goal with two seconds left to beat the Carolina Panthers.
2025 season recap
Smyth took over as the Saints' kicker in Week 13 of 2025 after Blake Grupe was waived. Across six games, he went 12-for-16 on field goals and 13-for-13 on extra points, a strong enough audition to earn a three-year contract to remain New Orleans' kicker.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Charlie Smyth
- Pro Football Reference: Charlie Smyth
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Place Kicker
- Group
- specialTeam
- College
- -
- Hometown
- Newry, Ireland
- Age
- 25
- Status
- active
Team
