Latest news with #McNamee
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Packers sign WR Will Sheppard, K Mark McNamee
The Packers signed wide receiver Will Sheppard and kicker Mark McNamee on Tuesday, the team announced. Sheppard is a rookie who played 55 games at Vanderbilt (2020-23) and Colorado (2024). He finished with 200 receptions for 2,688 yards (13.4 avg.) and 27 touchdowns. Sheppard also returned 18 punts for 131 yards (7.3 avg.). McNamee, also a rookie, joins the Packers as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. The Ireland native comes to Green Bay after spending the last month with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. McNamee participated in the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. He was a goalkeeper in Gaelic football for Ballyboden St Endas in Dublin, Ireland.
The 42
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Former Ballyboden St Enda's goalkeeper signs with NFL's Green Bay Packers
THE NFL'S GREEN Bay Packers have announced the bolt-from-the-blue signing of Dubliner Mark McNamee as their backup kicker ahead of training camp. McNamee, a former Gaelic football goalkeeper with Ballyboden St Enda's, has joined Green Bay following his recent release by Canadian Football League (CFL) outfit BC Lions. The Packers start training camp on Wednesday and currently require a backup kicker behind veteran Brandon McManus. McNamee today joined Green Bay's 91-man off-season roster, for the moment taking the International Player Pathway (IPP) spot previously occupied by Australian kicker Alex Hale. Advertisement Mark McNamee in action for Ballyboden St Enda's. Ballyboden St Enda's Ballyboden St Enda's Hale, who signed with the Packers last year, was cut on Monday after suffering a freak eye injury during a workout. The Packers may still re-sign him when he recovers. In the meantime, McNamee will get the opportunity to showcase his talent and make the backup position his own before the Packers trim their roster ahead of the 2025 season. The six-foot-four, 208-pound Dubliner is a product of Tadhg Leader's 'Leader Kicking' programme and joined the NFL's International Player Pathway scheme only in February of this year. McNamee completed 13 of his 14 field goal attempts at the NFL Combine but was not selected in the NFL Draft — even vastly more experienced kickers coming out of college are more typically signed in free agency after the draft. McNamee, though, entered the CFL's International Draft and was selected by the Vancouver-based BC Lions in the second round. He featured in both of the Lions' preseason games in May, successfully kicking his one field goal attempt in each of them (from 32 yards and 42 yards respectively). However, McNamee was released by the Lions on 1 June. He has now become the second Irishman at the Packers, joining starting punter Dan Whelan who grew up in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, before moving to the States with his family when he was 13. While Whelan is a full-time member of the Packers' roster, McNamee will first aim to emulate the progress of fellow Irish kickers Jude McAtamney and Charlie Smyth who have earned International Player Pathway spots on the practice squads of the New York Giants and New Orleans Saints respectively. Practice-squad players train with with a club's 53-man first-team roster and can be elevated to a matchday squad — up to three times per season in the case of IPP players such as McAtamney and Smyth — in the event of an injury or a loss of form suffered by one of those first-choice players. They are also free to sign a first-team contract with a different franchise. Practice squad players typically earn $12,500 per week — or $225,000 over the course of an 18-week season.
NBC Sports
22-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Packers sign WR Will Sheppard, K Mark McNamee
The Packers signed wide receiver Will Sheppard and kicker Mark McNamee on Tuesday, the team announced. Sheppard is a rookie who played 55 games at Vanderbilt (2020-23) and Colorado (2024). He finished with 200 receptions for 2,688 yards (13.4 avg.) and 27 touchdowns. Sheppard also returned 18 punts for 131 yards (7.3 avg.). McNamee, also a rookie, joins the Packers as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program. The Ireland native comes to Green Bay after spending the last month with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. McNamee participated in the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine. He was a goalkeeper in Gaelic football for Ballyboden St Endas in Dublin, Ireland.
RTÉ News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Mark McNamee signs contract with Green Bay Packers
Mark McNamee has become the latest Irish recruit in the NFL after the kicker signed for the Green Bay Packers. McNamee, a former Ballyboden St Enda's goalkeeper, was included in this year's International Player Pathway Program and subsequently joined Canadian Football League franchise BC Lions. He played two pre-season games for the Vancouver-based franchise but was released last month. The 25-year old was tonight signed by the Packers as their back-up kicker and International Player Pathway Program player, with Australian Alex Hales departing. McNamee becomes the second Irish player on the Packers roster, alongside Wicklow-born punter Daniel Whelan. Former Down goalkeeper Charlie Smyth is another noted graduate of the IPPP, having earned a contract with the New Orleans Saints in 2024.
USA Today
22-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Packers sign rookie kicker and Ireland native Mark McNamee as IPP player
Mark McNamee joins the IPP Class of '25 from the @officialgaa! 🇮🇪 The Green Bay Packers have a new kicker and International Player Pathway Program player. The team announced the signing of rookie kicker Mark McNamee, a native of Ireland who will replace Alex Hale -- who was released on Monday -- as the backup kicker and international player on the 91-player offseason roster on Tuesday. The Packers start training camp on Wednesday and needed a backup kicker behind veteran Brandon McManus. McNamee (6-4, 208) was previously a goalkeeper in Gaelic football in Dublin, Ireland. He got a chance to work at the NFL Scouting Combine as part of the International Player Pathway Program and made 13 of 14 field goal attempts. McNamee was most recently a member of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Despite making both of his field goal attempts during the preseason, McNamee was released by the Lions on June 1. McNamee is replacing Hale, an Australian native who was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list to start training camp after suffering an eye injury. It's possible the Packers are giving McNamee a chance to showcase his talent while Hale recovers and will then make a decision between the two once Hale is healthy again. McNamee joins punter Daniel Whelan as the second Irish player on the Packers roster. The Packers also announced the signing of rookie wide receiver Will Sheppard, an undrafted free agent out of Colorado. The move was first reported on Monday.
