It was a typically controversial Sean Payton move in the last week prior to the beginning of the 2016 season. Both incumbent place kicker Kai Forbath and contender Connor Barth had been battling to be the Saints’ starter since early in training camp.
After the last preseason game, New Orleans Saints’ Head Coach Sean Payton brought in undrafted rookie free agent Wil Lutz, who had just been cut by the Baltimore Ravens and named him the starter.
Lutz, out of Georgia State, was known to have a very strong leg but struggled collegiately with accuracy. It was on a recommendation from Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and an impressive tryout, that Payton decided to hand kicking duties over to Lutz.