Smyth and McAtamney signed to practice squads

Irish kickers Charlie Smyth and Jude McAtamney have been signed to the practice squads of the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants respectively for the 2024 season.

Neither Smyth nor McAtamney were included in their franchise's 53-man rosters that were announced yesterday, meaning both could be picked up by a rival team inside the next 24 hours under the NFL's waiver rules.

As expected, the relatively inexperienced pair went unclaimed by a rival franchise, who would have been taking a serious punt in signing them as first choice kickers.

This left the Saints and the Giants free to add them to their practice squads for the upcoming season. The practice squads are typically 16-strong but under current league rules, a 17th can be added using the International Player Pathway exemption.

Both Smyth and McAtamney have been signed at the 17th player under these regulations, meaning they be elevated from the practice squad to the matchday roster three times this season.

Former Down under-20 goalkeeper Smyth impressed during pre-season, making headlines by kicking a last-gasp winning field goal in the Saints victory over the Arizona Cardinals. However, for most of the pre-season period, he played second fiddle to Blake Grupe, with Smyth hampered by a groin injury for the final pre-season game against Tennessee Titans.

The 24-year old Derryman McAtamney - who won an Ulster under-20 title in 2018 - converted both his field goal attempts as the Giants lost to their rivals the Jets on his debut.

As a practice squad player, McAtamney will be an understudy to the renowned 37-year old first-choice Giants kicker Graham Gano.

"He's (Jude) improving on his kickoffs with the new kickoff deal. But he's learning a lot, I'd say, from Graham,"