Las Vegas Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson (2) boots a winning 48-yard field goal during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Monday, Dec. 20, 2021, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard) ORG XMIT: OHTD125
David Richard
To stay sharp in the offseason, when he was no longer on an NFL roster, kicker [Daniel Carlson](https://www.nola.com/tncms/asset/editorial/f622e8b5-6964-45d3-a290-22134f005fcf/) worked out at his alma mater of Auburn University. And he even recruited some old friends — his snapper and holder from college — to replicate the snap, hold and kick part of the operation.
Carlson’s buddies just had to change out of their work clothes first. They were technically on their lunch break.
“They would change in the locker room real quick, and yeah, get back to work right after,” Carlson said.
The kicker said he also made sure to buy them lunch or dinner throughout the week as a token of gratitude for “sneaking out.” But the unusual setup was necessary: The 31-year-old patiently waited and intentionally took his time before landing with another team.
The opportunity finally came this week. The Saints signed Carlson as a late entry into what is now a three-man kicking competition. Kickers like Carlson — a two-time All-Pro who spent eight years with the Raiders — aren’t normally available in August. But after Las Vegas cut him in March, Carlson said he was focused on raising his family before deciding to join the franchise that allows him to be “as local as we could get” to Auburn.
After months of waiting, Carlson has a much faster turnaround to show the Saints he’s the man for the job.
He’s set to kick in practice Wednesday, has a preseason game Friday and roster cuts are due Sunday.
But if all goes right, perhaps Carlson can be the answer to the Saints’ instability at kicker of late.
Carlson, after all, spent eight years with the Raiders — a span in which the Saints have used seven different kickers. The black and gold haven’t quite been a rotating door at the position — the New York Jets have had a league-most 15 since 2018— but teams are well aware how fast it has the ability to spiral. And finding a solution can be difficult.
Carlson, too, believes he has plenty of football left. He said he never contemplated retirement once the Raiders released him, even with three young kids and a fourth on the way.
“I’ve also put in a lot of work to do some of the things I’ve gotten to do,” Carlson said. “You just can’t take it for granted. You never know how long an NFL career is going to last. The likelihood it’s not going to last very long. So being able to do what I got to do with the Raiders, as many years as I got to do it, I’m extremely grateful.
“But at no point did I think I’m near the end.”
To last this season, let alone another eight years, Carlson will likely have to be better than he was last year. The kicker’s accuracy on field goal attempts fell to just 81.5%, down from the 85% he hit in 2024. The performance led the Raiders to move on, with Las Vegas opting to sign Matt Gay instead.
But at his peak, Carlson has shown he’s capable of being one of the best players at his position. Carlson tied for the NFL in scoring in 2020 and followed that up with back-to-back All-Pro campaigns. The three-year stretch saw Carlson make 93% of his field goal attempts, which led the league among those with at least 50 attempts.
“Daniel’s a really talented kicker,” coach Kellen Moore said.
Carlson knows he will ultimately be judged on his makes and misses. He’ll be expected to deliver in pressure-filled moments. Last year, the kicker sometimes came up short in that area — a missed extra point came back to haunt him in a 30-29 loss to Jacksonville, a 48-yard miss late in a 10-7 loss that allowed Denver to run out the clock. But Carlson also hit a 60-yard game-winner, the longest make of his career and good for one of the Raiders’ only three victories.
The scrutiny of every kick gives Carlson experience, something that could give him an edge in the Saints’ kicking competition. Incumbent Charlie Smyth, by contrast, began kicking footballs in 2023. Tanner Brown, signed from the UFL, has yet to appear in a regular season. The Saints, too, brought in Carlson only after the others struggled to establish consistency.
Carlson was once in their shoes. As a rookie, the former 2018 fifth-rounder won the Vikings’ kicking job — only to lose it just two weeks into the season when three missed kicks cost Minnesota a win. He landed with the Raiders weeks later and they stuck by him even amid a shaky 2019.
But now arrives a new chapter. In the days since joining the Saints, Carlson admits he’s been “lost” all over the facility as he learns the ins and outs of the building. He said he’s also looking forward to reaching out to former teammates like Derek Carr and Foster Moreau to learn more about New Orleans.
If he does his job, he’ll have time to learn it all.
“I'm just hoping my experience and what I've learned over the years, the good and the bad, continues to help me onward,” Carlson said.