From Ireland to the Scouting Combine spotlight, Mark McNamee’s rise has been fast and unexpected. As it turned out, Gaelic football wasn’t the final chapter for him. The former goalkeeper from Dublin is now gearing up for more pressure kicks, as he signs with the Green Bay Packers. His story doesn’t follow the usual NFL script—no college bowl games, no draft hype, but that’s what makes it worth watching. But just as things were heating up, an off-field hurdle slowed him down.
The Packers brought McNamee in to fill a sudden void, one left by Australian kicker Hale, who was sidelined by an eye injury right before training camp. With Hale on the NFI list and out for several weeks, Green Bay needed a fresh support veteran, Brandon McManus. For now, McNamee is that support. It could also be a temporary fix. The Packers might be testing the waters to see if McNamee can stick once Hale’s healthy. Call it a kicking audition with a bonus of international flair.
But McNamee’s Green Bay debut didn’t go quite as planned. While the rest of the roster reported for camp, he was still stuck outside the U.S., all thanks to visa delays. Head coach Matt LaFleur gave a quick update, confirming what fans were guessing: “Irish kicker Mark McNamee isn’t with the team yet, according to Matt LaFleur. Working through a VISA issue,” Packers reporter Weston Hodkiewicz posted on Twitter. So while one Irish supporter is waiting in customs, another’s booming punts in Wisconsin heat.
Irish kicker Mark McNamee isn’t with the team yet, according to Matt LaFleur. Working through an VISA issue.
— Weston Hodkiewicz (@WesHod) July 27, 2025
McNamee isn’t alone in this Irish NFL wave. He joins Charlie Smyth (Saints), Jude McAtamney (Giants), and Packers punter Dan Whelan to form a talented kicking line. Whelan, born in Wicklow, has already cemented himself in Green Bay, notching 119 punts over two seasons. Now with McNamee in the mix, the Packers have quietly become the NFL’s most Irish roster.
Despite their global reach, the Packers remain NFL royalty with the most championships, four Super Bowl wins, and now two international talents. Whelan, who joined the team in May 2023, made NFL history last year by becoming the first Irish-born player since 1985. His debut came on September 10, 2023, and he hasn’t looked back. Meanwhile, McNamee—set to join this already chaotic camp—missed the action, at least for now, which got Matt LaFleur all worked up.
Mark McNamee missed the early camp chaos with Matt LaFleur
Training camp started with rhythm. Day one saw clean reps, sharp throws, and a sense of control. The offense clicked without much drama. Jordan Love looked composed, the new additions settled in, and things felt steady. That was until Day 3 showed up with a completely different vibe. Coach Matt LaFleur, walking off the field after Friday’s practice, didn’t look pleased. What began as a calm preseason rollout started to show cracks—ones LaFleur hoped to avoid this early in the schedule.
Snaps from the shotgun got messy after starting center Elgton Jenkins missed practice. Turnovers crept in, and contact in a non-padded session pushed the line. Nate Hobbs was at the center of it. He sent Dontayvion Wicks to the turf twice—once on a hit after a catch and again over the middle, which led to an incompletion. LaFleur even had a quick word with Hobbs regarding that.
Then came the turnovers. What began with a forced fumble on Josh Jacobs quickly spiraled. Malik Willis threw one near-interception, then another on the very next play. Jordan Love wasn’t immune either—his flat throw nearly got jumped by Xavier McKinney. But it wasn’t just the mistakes—it was the timing. It was how everything happened during no pads. “When you don’t have pads on, I told the guys, if we lose one person, that hurts our football team,” LaFleur warned before camp began. By Day 3, that reminder felt like more than a suggestion—it sounded like a warning being tested.
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