Down’s Charlie Smyth becomes NFL player as he signs deal with New Orleans Saints – reports
Charlie Smyth at the NFL Combine
Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth has signed a contract with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, becoming the first Irish member of the league’s International Player Pathway Programme to join a franchise.
Reports from Pro Football Ireland confirm hopes that Smyth’s invitation from the Saints earlier in the week would lead to a longer-term deal for the 22-year-old
Smyth impressed at the Combine in Indianapolis earlier this month, landing 12 of 16 field goal attempts before converting eight of 10 kicks at a Pro Day in Florida last week, prompting the offer from New Orleans.
He also kicked an impressive curling goal in practice during the week in a video which was circulated online, impressive for a player who only began kicking NFL footballs in August.
Every NFL team must now keep an international player on their practice squad, an opportunity Smyth has taken.
It comes as former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs, according to a report in the United States.
Rees-Zammit is set to join the Chiefs’ practice squad, having impressed during his time on the NFL’s international player pathway, and some reports suggest he is set for a three-year deal with guaranteed money.
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