Gaelic Footballer Jude McAtamney to Make NFL Debut for Giants with Greg Joseph on IR
Mike Chiari@@mikechiari
Featured Columnist IVNovember 2, 2024
Former Gaelic football player Jude McAtamney is set to make his NFL debut and serve as the New York Giants kicker on Sunday.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Giants placed kicker Greg Joseph on injured reserve and elevated McAtamney from the practice squad ahead of their Week 9 game against the Washington Commanders.
McAtamney, who was born in Northern Ireland, grew up playing Gaelic football before transitioning to American football and kicking at Division II Chowan University and later at Rutgers.
Joseph was a late addition to the injury report this week with an abdomen injury, and his placement on IR means he will have to miss at least the next four games.
The Giants signed Joseph in September after kicker Graham Gano suffered a hamstring injury that resulted in him being placed on injured reserve.
In six games this season, Joseph has gone 13-for-16 on field goal attempts and 6-for-6 on his extra-point tries.
McAtamney, 24, went 12-for-18 on field goals at Rutgers in 2022 but missed his only field goal attempt the following season after losing the starting kicker job.
Despite that, the Giants signed him as an undrafted free agent after he was not selected in the 2024 NFL draft, perhaps due partially to the fact that he didn't count against the roster limit as part of the International Player Pathway program.
McAtamney was perfect on his opportunities during the preseason, making both of his field goal attempts and his only extra point attempt.
The Giants have struggled to a 2-6 record so far this season, placing them last in the NFC East.
On Sunday, they will host a Commanders team that has been among the biggest feel-good stories in the league, leading the NFC East with a 6-2 record on the strength of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels' play.
Although the Giants are underdogs Sunday, the game presents a huge opportunity for McAtamney to prove he belongs as an NFL kicker.
Should McAtamney perform well, he could cement himself as the Giants' kicker until either Joseph or Gano is able to return.