The opportunity has reopened for Charlie Smyth and Jude McAtamney, NFL players of Irish descent, to continue their careers in the league. After being initially dropped by the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants respectively, both players have found themselves re-engaged in their teams’ practice squads.
Smyth, hailing from Down, and McAtamney, a Derry native, weren’t selected for their team’s final 53-player roster for the upcoming season, subsequently becoming available for other teams in the waiver wire. However, they weren’t scooped up by any other team, which led to their original teams enlisting them back into the training crews. Thanks to their eligibility for an international player exemption, their spots in the reserve team didn’t exceed the practice squad restriction. This means they still possess the possibility of advancement to the main team during this season, dependent on any injuries to their team’s primary kicker.
During the Saints’ initial preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals, Smyth had made a decisive contribution with a winning field goal at the final second.
The weekly earnings for practice squad members stand at $12,500, amounting to $225,000 over an 18-week period. Meanwhile, experienced players boasting over two years in the league will earn a minimum of $16,800 a week or $302,400 across 18 weeks. The maximum threshold for such players is $21,300 per week, leading to a total of $383,400 for 18 weeks.