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Giants Release Kicker Jude McAtamney After Missed Extra Points

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Zach Kaplan | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 12:35 AM ET

The Giants squandered a 19-0 lead over the Broncos in Week 7, a heartbreaking loss that saw Jaxson Dart reach new heights but the defense and special teams falter late.

The Broncos scored 33 points in the fourth quarter alone en route to a 33-32 thriller of a win. As Giants fans looked to a scapegoat in the absence of usual poor QB play or offensive woes, one came to mind.

That was Jude McAtamney, originally a Gaelic football player from Northern Ireland who made his way to Rutgers in 2022 and signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2024.

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; New York Giants kicker Jude McAtamney (99) misses the point after attempt as punter Jamie Gillan (12) holds in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

McAtamney made his NFL debut last November, but was promoted to the active roster after the injury to Graham Gano. Unfortunately for McAtamney, he made the wrong kind of history in the Giants' loss.

McAtamney missed two extra points, the latter of which proving to be the difference in the Giants' one-point loss. Neither of the extra points were blocked, which made McAtamney the only placekicker to miss two non-blocked extra points in a game his team lost by one point, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

A New Placekicker Vacancy

After the loss, McAtamney was released by the Giants, putting the remainder of his NFL career in potential jeopardy. McAtamney entered the Giants' mile-high date with Denver at a career 3-for-3 in field goals and 8-for-9 in extra points, but he succumbed to the pressure.

Following McAtamney's release, the Giants now have a vacancy at placekicker, though Gano was reportedly engaged in kicking work Tuesday as he recovers from a groin injury. A report from the New York Post's Paul Schwartz suggests he may be available to return from injured reserve ahead of the Giants' highly touted matchup against the Eagles in Week 8.

If Gano is unavailable to rejoin the team, they could look to veteran kickers such as Younghoe Koo or Zane Gonzalez.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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