NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The New Orleans Saints have decided to let Charlie Smyth, a former Gaelic football player from Northern Ireland, take over place kicking and kickoff duties on Sunday in Miami, when he will make his NFL regular-season debut.
Smyth, who came to the Saints in 2024 as part of the NFL’s International Pathways Program, replaces Blake Grupe, who was cut on Tuesday after his two missed field goal attempts last Sunday raised his total of misses to eight.
Saints special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said Smyth's improvement in kicking an NFL ball since his arrival two offseasons ago is akin to “the difference between red and blue.”
“Never doing it in high school and never doing it in college is really a big deal,” Galiano said.
The 24-year-old Smyth kicked in the preseason in 2024 and 2025, hitting all four attempts this past summer, including two from 50-plus yards. The Saints then sent Smith to Dallas to work with a place-kicking specialist during this season. During practice, Smyth has been observed hitting field goals from 65 yards.
“We wanted to put a developmental plan together for Charlie ... because we think he is a future NFL kicker," Galiano said, noting that although he is confident in his command of special teams generally, he does not have a highly refined understanding of kicking technique.
“We didn’t want him to be here hanging out and not getting better on the practice squad,” Galiano said. "So, that was a plan that we had put together in training camp that we had lined up for the middle of the season.”
This past week, the Saints signed former LSU kicker Cade York, who has previously played in the NFL for Cincinnati, Washington and Cleveland, to their practice squad.
The team then evaluated York and Smyth throughout the week before deciding on Saturday to move Smyth to the active roster. Galiano said they compared each kicker's distance, loft, accuracy and timing from long snap to kick.
The Saints also elevated receiver Dante Pettis from the practice squad to the active roster.
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FILE - New Orleans Saints holder James Burnip, left, places the ball for place kicker Charlie Smyth to make a field goal as Denver Broncos special teams player Quinton Newsome comes in to defend in the second half of an NFL preseason football game Aug. 23, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Ella Hall, File)
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Francisco Lindor made a couple of uncharacteristic mental mistakes Wednesday, and the second one certainly cost the New York Mets.
The star shortstop lost track of the outs on defense in the opening inning and got picked off first base in the sixth — right before teammate Juan Soto homered. The slumping Mets stranded 11 runners and lost 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals in 11 innings.
Lindor reached base in the sixth on a one-out error by third baseman Nolan Gorman, but the leadoff hitter wandered too far off the bag and was fiddling with his gloves when he was easily picked off by St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore.
“I should have been better,” Lindor said.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza credited the Cardinals with making a good move to nab Lindor.
“They got us there,” Mendoza said. “He was going to go. They got us with a quick step-off there. I wouldn’t consider that one there a mental mistake. He was trying to get some momentum there and being aggressive.”
Three pitches later, Soto hit a soaring fly that landed just over the right-field fence inside the foul pole for a solo home run.
In the first inning, Lindor failed to execute a potential double play when he forgot how many outs there were.
With one out and Iván Herrera on first, left-handed-hitting Alec Burleson hit a grounder to Lindor at shortstop. Positioned near second base, Lindor touched the bag but then headed toward the dugout instead of throwing to first to retire Burleson as well.
By the time Lindor realized his mistake, it was too late. New York starter Freddy Peralta struck out the next batter to end the inning.
“I forgot the outs,” Lindor said. “I made a mistake that probably cost Peralta an extra inning because he had to throw more pitches after that. It’s inexcusable. He probably could have gone six, seven innings. I just forgot the outs. I realized there was just one out. Honest mistake.”
Mendoza didn’t cover for Lindor.
“There’s no excuses,” Mendoza said. “He’ll be the first one that tells you that. That can’t happen. He knows. He was pretty (ticked) when he came in. Peralta did a good job picking him up and finishing that inning.”
New York (3-3) went 1 for 29 with runners in scoring position during the three-game series, including 0 for 11 in the finale.
“Hats off to them,” Lindor said. “They executed their pitches. They played better. I've got to be better, and go out there and win the next series.”
The Mets have totaled 12 runs in their last five games after scoring 11 on opening day against Pittsburgh.
“Good hitters right now for a couple of games, they’re not getting it done,” Mendoza said.
Lindor remains optimistic the Mets will put everything together.
“I still believe in what we have,” he said. “We have a good team. We are a couple of pitches away from continuing to get the ball rolling on our side.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Mets' pitcher Freddy Peralta throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/LG Patterson)
New York Mets' Juan Soto hits a home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/LG Patterson)
St. Louis Cardinal teammates surround Masyn Winn after he hit the game winning hit during the eleventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/LG Patterson)
New York Mets' right fielder Carson Benge misses a fly ball during the eleventh inning of a baseball game which allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to win the game Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/LG Patterson)
New York Mets' right fielder Carson Benge dives but can't make the catch on a fly ball which allowed the St. Louis Cardinals to score the winning run in the 11th inning of a baseball game, Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/LG Patterson)
