The New Orleans Saints reportedly are trading veteran kicker Wil Lutz to Denver, reuniting him with Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
ESPN’s trade report on Tuesday did not specify the compensation for New Orleans, who apparently will enter the season with undrafted rookie Blake Grupe handling the kicking duties.
Lutz, 29, entered the NFL with New Orleans and then-coach Payton in 2016 and made the Pro Bowl in 2019, but is coming off his worst season.
He made a career-low 74.2 percent of his field-goal attempts (23 of 31) but converted all 33 extra points in 17 games in 2022.
Lutz has connected on 165 of 195 field goals (84.6 percent) and 286 of 293 PATs (97.6 percent) in 97 games for the Saints. He is 17 of 29 from beyond 50 yards with a long of 60, set in Week 4 last season against Minnesota.
Grupe played four seasons at Arkansas State before transferring to Notre Dame, where he drilled 14 of 19 field goals and all 49 extra-point tries in 2022.
–Field Level Media