Why is it so hard for NFL international players?

I can’t be doing with criticism of English food. Those naysayers just don’t understand the nuance of a yorkshire pudding or the unbridled joy of back bacon. That said, last November I was in a New Orleans bar, watching the Ravens and Bengals play one of the games of the year. Alongside me was a beer, a burger and fries. Plus probably a lot of ketchup. Truly nothing fancy, and yet just so delicious. Cholesteral aside, they do food very well in the States.

Sitting next to me while sauce splurted all over my face was Charlie Smyth, kicker for the New Orleans Saints. Charlie was on the practice squad thanks to the International Player Pathway program. Y’see, Charlie is Irish and up until a few months before had never played a game of American Football. Not in the NFL, not in college, not in high school, probably not in the back garden. And yet the Saints saw enough in him to place him on the extra practice squad spot designed specifically for international players.

Fast forward 12 months later.

Whilst Charlie had hopes of being the starting kicker in 2025, incumbent Blake Grupe had something to say about that. Grupe, however, was let go after week 12 after converting less than 70% of his field goals this year.

#CharlieTime, right? Maybe. But maybe not.

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Ahead of week 13, the Saints added veteran kicker Cade York to the practice squad. It doesn’t take Tom Brady to work out that two kickers on the practice squad isn’t particlarly helpful when you have zero on the active roster. So one will step up.

But here’s the problem for Charlie, and a lot of international NFL players.

Because they have never played a competitive NFL game, or even college game, they also have no tape. They have nothing for coaches to evaluate when the question arises ‘should we play this player?’. They don’t have a fourth quarter comeback. They don’t have a last second field goal. They don’t have proof they are able to do it in the toughest of weather conditions. They have nothing.

Now that doesn’t mean they can’t do it - of course - it just means that conservative NFL front offices and coaches will probably go with the guy that has that tape. And the international player sits on the practice squad, again just waiting for his moment.

They need tape to be given a chance. But they need to be given a chance to get tape.

This is the best opportunity for the Saints to give Charlie a shot as a starting NFL kicker. They are 2-10. They are playing for nothing. The city of New Orleans knows that, there is no expectation on the kicker to win a game because it doesn’t overly matter either way. If it doesn’t work out, they’ll have a new kicker next year. Bourbon Street will party all night no matter what.

Charlie Smyth has been in the Saints building for two years. If not now, when?