The New Orleans Saints seemed like they’d be set when they spent most of the offseason with Charlie Smyth projected to be their kicker for the 2026 season.
Instead, they cut Smyth late in the preseason in favor of the veteran Daniel Carlson. But misses early in the season have brought that decision back to the forefront.
In the modern NFL, if you don’t have a consistent kicker, you’re leaving points on the table. There are so many guys with big, accurate legs — and they can win games that otherwise would be losses.
The Saints aren’t 1-4 just because of Carlson, but they’re learning that experience isn’t always better at the kicker position in this NFL.
Every year, the new generation of kickers gets better.
The Saints chose instead to stick with the past when they chose Carlson over Smyth.
Are Saints Cutting Daniel Carlson?
Through Week 5, the Saints have no plans to cut ties with Carlson.
This is what ESPN’s Katherine Terrell relayed on Monday from head coach Kellen Moore about Carlson:
Kellen Moore on any concern about Daniel Carlson: I mean, Daniel’s got a lot of evidence. We’ve obviously got to kick better, but I think he’s going to work through this.
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) October 12, 2026
Carlson began the year going 1-for-2 in Week 1 with a miss from beyond 50 yards.
He made all three of his field goal attempts in Week 2, including one from beyond 50.
Carlson hasn’t had a field goal attempt in Weeks 3 or 5, but he did miss another 50-plus kick in Week 4.
Most concerning is that Carlson has already missed two extra point attempts, including one in Sunday’s 23-13 loss to the Saints.
Carlson made extra points at a 95.5% rate last season, but his small sample size this season has him at 84.6%.
His field goal percentage last year was 81.5%, and his current 5-for-7 this year works out to 71.4%.
The Saints need those to be better or they’ll have to make a change.
Where is Charlie Smyth?
Charlie Smyth is currently a free agent.
The Saints clearly decided that despite Smyth’s intriguing upside, they wanted someone more proven, which is when they signed Carlson before this season.
The strong-legged kicker Smyth is originally from Northern Ireland, and he didn’t have a whole lot of kicking experience before making his NFL debut with the Saints during the 2025 season.
Smyth ended up playing in six games with the Saints in 2025, and he went 12-for-16 on field goals. That included 4-for-6 from 50-yards or more, and he made a kick from 57 yards as part of his long-distance kicking.
He was also 13-for-13 on extra points, for what that’s worth.
Saints’ Daniel Carlson Missed Kicks Re-Open Charlie Smyth Decision