This post was originally published on this site.
New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator Phil Galiano says Charlie Smyth’s future as a permanent member of the squad is “up in the air”.
Saints head coach Kellen Moore confirmed on Tuesday that the kicker will make his home NFL debut against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday (21:25 GMT).
Former Gaelic footballer Smyth is set to start his third successive NFL game after featuring in the defeat at the Miami Dolphins and last weekend’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
NFL rules say a player can be elevated three times from the practice squad before they must be made a permanent fixture in a team’s 53-man roster.
That means that if Smyth impresses against the Panthers, the Saints would need to sign him before selecting him for a fourth match, but Galiano would not be drawn to comment on the 24-year-old’s future.
“All of that is up in the air, our focus is on one game at a time and what we’re trying to do is go and win this game,” he said.
“Our hope is Charlie goes and kicks well and helps us win the game. I’m looking to treat it one game at a time, it’s the only way you can treat it, I don’t think it’s fair to other players if you’re trying to have a plan to see guys, we want to win every game that is our goal.”
Smyth earned his opportunity after regular kicker Blake Grupe was waived by the Saints, and he came through a competition against veteran Cade York to earn his shot at the NFL.
The former Down GAA goalkeeper landed a 56-yard field goal and a rare onside kick on his debut but had mixed fortunes in the surprise victory over the Buccaneers.
Smyth missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt in the driving rain, but his 30-yard effort tied the game in the closing stages of the third quarter.
He was perfect from his three extra-point attempts, but failed to hit the landing zone late in the game from a kick-off although the Buccaneers could not capitalise on the error.
Galiano was pleased with Smyth’s reaction after his first missed field-goal attempt and believes there were plenty of positives to take from his first two appearances.
“I thought it was good as he missed it and came over to the sideline, I grabbed him and said, ‘hey, you got your first miss in the NFL out the way, so how are you going to respond to it?'” added Galiano.
“All you can do is make the next one at every opportunity and he came and responded and did a good job. All those points are very important for us.”
