The New Orleans Saints have officially announced the signing of experienced free agent kicker Daniel Carlson. This strategic move aims to bring much-needed stability to the team's kicking unit, which has faced inconsistencies during training camp and the preseason. Carlson, a prominent figure in the NFL for eight seasons, primarily with the Las Vegas Raiders, is expected to significantly upgrade the Saints' special teams performance for the upcoming 2026 season.
Carlson, at 31 years old, has built a distinguished career in the NFL, spending the majority of his eight seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders. His arrival in New Orleans follows the Saints' acquisition of running back Zamir White, who was Carlson's teammate for four seasons with the Raiders before White's trade from the San Francisco 49ers. This transition marks a new chapter for Carlson, bringing his proven track record to a team in search of a reliable kicking solution.
During his collegiate career with the Auburn Tigers, Carlson demonstrated exceptional accuracy, converting 198 out of 198 extra point attempts and 92 out of 114 field goals, achieving an 80.7% success rate. He consistently led the SEC in field goals made for three consecutive seasons and topped the conference in points with 126 in 2017 and 128 the year prior. Carlson's remarkable performance earned him three First-Team All-SEC selections and three Second-Team All-American honors. He concluded his time at Auburn as the SEC's all-time leading scorer with 480 points, a record that stood until 2023.
Carlson entered the NFL as a fifth-round pick, 167th overall, by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2018 NFL Draft. After a brief two-game stint with the Vikings, he joined the Oakland Raiders a month later, where he established himself as one of the league's most consistent kickers for the subsequent eight seasons. His NFL career statistics include an 86.7% field goal conversion rate and a 95.7% success rate on extra points. Notably, he has converted 37 of 51 attempts from beyond 50 yards and 91 of 121 from beyond 40 yards. Carlson led the NFL in points with 144 in 2020 and 150 in 2021, also making a league-high 40 field goals out of 43 attempts in 2021. He received Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2021 and First-Team All-Pro accolades in 2022. While his 2025 season with the Raiders saw a career-low 87 points and an 81.5% field goal conversion rate (22 of 27), his overall career trajectory highlights his potential impact.
The Saints' decision to sign Daniel Carlson addresses a long-standing challenge in their kicking department, which has struggled with inconsistency since the trade of Wil Lutz three years ago. The recent performances of Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown during training camp and preseason underscored the urgent need for a change. Carlson is now the clear frontrunner to be the Saints' starting kicker for the 2026 season. If he can replicate his career-long reliability, his addition represents a significant enhancement for the New Orleans special teams unit.
