The New Orleans Saints are making a change at kicker.

The team announced Tuesday that it has released veteran Daniel Carlson.

Carlson, 31, made only 8 of his 12 field goal tries this season. That 66.7% mark was tied for the second-worst in the NFL. He also missed two extra points in seven games.

A miss in Paris

The Saints are 2-5 and coming off their bye week. Their last game was a 16-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Paris. Carlson missed a 52-yard field goal in that game.

Coach Kellen Moore said Monday the team would keep evaluating the spot. "Obviously we just got to continue to evaluate the field goal opportunities," Moore said. "And so that'd be something that we'll just have to work through and discuss and find the best solution for Sunday."

Moore also said the team did not plan to bring in any kickers for tryouts.

Smyth gets his shot

That opens the door for Charlie Smyth. The Irish kicker is on the practice squad and is in line to kick Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Smyth joined the Saints in 2024 through the NFL's International Player Pathway. He took over as the full-time kicker for the last six games of last season and made 12 of his 16 kicks.

Carlson signed with New Orleans in late August. He spent eight seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and was an All-Pro in 2021 and 2022.

More changes in New Orleans

This is the Saints' second big move since the bye. They fired run game coordinator T.J. Paganetti on Monday after running for just 18 yards against Pittsburgh.

The team also claimed running back Audric Estime off waivers from the Browns. Estime spent seven games with the Saints in 2025.