With roster cuts due in less than a week, the New Orleans Saints are shaking up their .
The Saints are signing veteran kicker Daniel Carlson, a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed. The deal comes after the Saints' other kickers — Charlie Smyth and Tanner Brown — have struggled throughout camp, with both missing a field goal attempt in the preseason.
The signing was first reported by NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
"Daniel's a really talented kicker," Saints coach Kellen Moore said. "He's had a lot of success in this league and we feel like there's worthy opportunities there for the competition, to get him involved here. We'll anticipate him trying to kick here on Wednesday and we'll go from there."
Carlson, 31, is a two-time All-Pro, but his accuracy has dipped in recent years. The former Las Vegas Raiders kicker made 81% (22 of 27) of his field goal attempts in 2025, a dip from 2024's 85% (34 of 40).
Still, Carlson adds veteran experience to the room and has a big leg. He made a 60-yard attempt last season, a career high. He was named as an All-Pro in 2021 and 2022. He spent eight seasons with the Raiders after briefly beginning his career in Minnesota.
The Raiders released Carlson in March to sign Matt Gay instead.
Moore, who said the Saints plan to carry three kickers on the roster for the rest of the preseason, said the Saints had held "dialogue" with Carlson throughout the offseason, paving the way for Monday's deal.
"I feel like this would be a good opportunity for him," Moore said, adding, "We felt good about where we were at with those two young guys. But we felt like at this time, adding a third guy would be valuable for us.
"We'll just let the next few days take its course. We'll have a really good day on Wednesday with kicking at practice and then transition to Friday's (preseason) game (against the Dallas Cowboys)."