Latest news with #CharlieSmyth
RTÉ News
21-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
NFL will allow players to compete at LA 2028 Olympic Games
NFL players will be able to compete in flag football at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. A 32-0 verdict was passed by NFL owners at a spring league meeting on Tuesday confirming players would be eligible try out for the Games. A maximum of one player from each NFL franchise will be able to participate along with each club's designated international player and rosters of 10 players will be selected by each country's Olympic committee. Former Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth and Derry midfielder Jude McAtamney are the international players for the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants, respectively. However, they are place-kickers, and flag football does not have kicking plays, with teams consisting of a quarterback, centre and three receivers. The flag football competition will be a five-on-five format, with six men's teams and six women's teams competing in LA. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement: "It's an incredible honour for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport. "I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. "We are thrilled that they will now have that chance."
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Saints receive international roster exemption for second-year kicker Charlie Smyth
Saints receive international roster exemption for second-year kicker Charlie Smyth Here's something to note before we get all wrapped up in analyzing New Orleans Saints draft picks. The NFL granted a roster exemption for kicker Charlie Smyth, per Wednesday's update to the daily transactions wire. Smyth hails from Newry, Ireland and first joined the Saints last offseason as part of the league's International Pathway Program. The Saints previously had filled 71 of their 90 offseason roster spots, so this opens up a place for another player on the offseason depth chart. Smyth, 23, made the most of his opportunities in the 2024 preseason. He booted an exhibition game-winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals and consistently nailed kicks from 60-plus yards in practice. Now he'll have a chance to build on that experience and really push third-year pro Blake Grupe for the starting job in 2025. He signed a two-year contract extension back in January, their first 2025 free agent to do so. He needs all the experience he can get. Smyth first kicked an American football in Aug. 2023, so for him to make this much progress so quickly says a lot. Finding out just how high his ceiling may be is going to be a fascinating subplot at Saints training camp this summer. Displacing Grupe won't be easy. Grupe went 27-of-31 on field goals in 2024, a big improvement over his 2023 performance (30-of-37), though he did miss two extra point tries after going 40-for-40 as a rookie. Maybe the promotion of special teams assistant Phil Galiano to Darren Rizzi's old spot helps change Smyth's case.
