McAtamney closer to NFL debut after Giants kicker injury

Jude McAtamney stands on sidelinesImage source, Getty Images
Image caption,

McAtamney played for Rutgers University in New Jersey before joining the Giants

  • Published

Former Derry U-20 GAA player Jude McAtamney has taken a step closer to making his NFL debut for the New York Giants.

The Giants' starting kicker Graham Gano is set to be out for a number of weeks after aggravating a hamstring injury during Sunday's 21-18 loss to Washington Commanders.

McAtamney, who is signed to the Giants practice squad, impressed this summer and featured in pre-season games after joining the organisation as a free agent.

As part of the International Player Pathway, he is eligible for a place on the practice squad for three seasons but was not elevated to the active roster for the weekend's game and therefore unable to feature.

The Giants were left without a specialist kicker after Gano's injury, with Scottish punter Jamie Gillan missing their only attempt at an extra point in a game they lost despite scoring three touchdowns to the Commanders' none - their points came from seven field goals.

Head coach Brian Daboll told reporters on Monday that the Giants would hold an open workout this week for a new kicker before making a decision on who will play against the Cleveland Browns this coming Sunday.

McAtamney, a 24-year-old from Swatragh, played college football for Rutgers University in New Jersey for two seasons and won an Ulster underage title with Derry in 2020.

Related topics