Who Will Kick for the Saints Against the Dolphins? Evaluating the Week 13 Decision

The New Orleans Saints enter Week 13 with one of the most important and unusual decisions of their season.

After waiving Blake Grupe this week due to ongoing struggles, the team now must choose a new starting kicker before Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins.

The choice comes down to two very different candidates: former LSU standout, Cade York, and International Player Pathway product, Charlie Smyth.

The Saints have spent Thanksgiving week watching both new kickers closely, evaluating every rep in practice and in Tuesday’s and Thursday’s workouts.

According to Saints' Morning Break, special teams coordinator Phil Galiano said both of them kicked extremely well, which made the decision harder. That evaluation period now leads into a final choice that will be announced either Friday afternoon or as late as Saturday’s practice squad elevations.

York is the more experienced option of the two.

He entered the league as a fourth round pick in 2022 after a strong career at LSU that included multiple high pressure kicks and a national championship (see TigerRag)

His NFL journey has been unpredictable, taking him through five organizations in three seasons.

He has struggled with consistency, hitting 75 percent of his attempts as a rookie, but he also carries one of the strongest legs among young kickers.

Last year, he went 9-11 with the Bengals, including a long of 59 yards.

York has described his early NFL years as a period where he was chasing perfection too hard and allowing too many coaching “voices” into his process.

The Saints’ tryout came at a moment when he claimed he was trying to reset mentally and physically.

New Orleans also knows York has history in Louisiana.

This is where he received his LSU offer, where he won a title, and where he made some of the biggest kicks of his life.

His comfort in the environment is a factor, but the question is whether the Saints trust him to stabilize the position immediately.

Then there is Smyth, the Irish kicker who has been developing in New Orleans for nearly two full seasons.

But Smyth has never kicked in a regular season game.

His experience comes from training camp, preseason, and daily work behind the scenes.

The Saints view him as a long term project with an explosive leg, but he is still learning the more technical side of the job.

The staff believes he is much closer to being game ready this year. Smyth’s preseason performance supports that, including a perfect field goal record last summer and a game winner in his 2024 preseason debut (see highlight from New Orleans Saints).

Smyth’s progress has been steady enough that the Saints included him in this week’s competitive tryouts rather than simply handing the opportunity to York.One advantage for Smyth is also roster flexibility.

Because he is an IPP player, elevating him does not impact the 53-man roster in the same way other players would.

With six games remaining, the Saints could also realistically use both kickers before the season ends, as each has three allowable practice squad elevations.The Saints need someone who can steady the position immediately.

Whether that is York’s experience or Smyth’s fresh start will be revealed soon.

For now, New Orleans continues its search for a dependable kicker, hoping this next choice gives them the stability that has been missing all season.