Welcome Ireland’s Mark McNamee to Green Bay!
The Green Bay Packers needed a new kicker after it was reported that Alex Hale was released from the team due to an eye injury that was sustained outside of the facility. Hale, an Aussie, was also the Packers’ designated international player, which meant that he received a roster exemption from the team. Upon reporting with the team for training camp, Hale was initially put on the non-football injury list before being waived.
On Tuesday, the Packers signed his replacement: kicker Mark McNamee from Ireland. McNamee is obviously going to take Hale’s vacancy in the international player pathways program department, which means that Hale will be McNamee’s direct replacement, if he’s later signed once his eye recovers.
McNamee began his professional career playing for Ballyboden St Enda’s GAA as a Gaelic football player in the Dublin area. In the winter of 2025, he started working out to train as a football player. According to reports, he nailed 13 of his 14 field goal attempts at the combine.
The 6’4” former goalkeeper takes up one of the Packers’ final three open spots leading up to minicamp. McNamee, or Hale, will likely serve as backups to preferred starting kicker Brandon McManus, who signed a $15.3 million three-year deal with the team this offseason. If either international kicker makes it to Week 1 with Green Bay, they’ll have the option to use a practice squad exemption on them, assuming they pass through waivers at roster cutdowns.
Keep an eye out for more transactions, as Green Bay will probably try to fill up those final two roster spots later this week.