The Saints had Connor Barth and Kai Forbath compete for the kicking job all summer and seemed to settle on Forbath as their choice for the job when Barth was released on the way to 53 players.
Forbath’s name on the roster wasn’t written in ink, however. According to multiple reports, the Saints released Forbath on Tuesday.
As mentioned while discussing the release of veteran cornerback Cortland Finnegan, the Saints have signed Wil Lutz to their 53-man roster and he appears set to handle the kicking duties against the Raiders this weekend. Lutz was 2-of-3 on field goals with the Ravens in the preseason and 27-of-39 over the last three years at Georgia State, where he also handled the punting duties.
Forbath’s salary would have been guaranteed for the season if he was on the roster this week, which may have played a role in the decision-making at kicker. If that’s the case, he could potentially return down the road. If not, he’ll likely be an early call for teams looking for kicking help as the season unfolds.