Saints release kicker Daniel Carlson after poor start to season

The New Orleans Saints released kicker Daniel Carlson after a poor start to the season.

Carlson made 8 of 12 field goals, a 66.7% success rate that ranked among the NFL's worst, and missed two extra points.

The Saints had won only two of their first seven games, and kicking was one of several concerns after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Carlson had previously spent eight seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders and was an All-Pro in 2021 and 2022.

The move opens the door for Charlie Smyth, an Irish kicker who made 12 of 16 field goals as a Saints starter last season.

Smyth is expected to kick against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.