It has been a long time since an Irishman played an game in the NFL.
Dubliner Neil O'Donoghue is the last man to do so, with the placekicker spending eight years in the league with the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and St Louis Cardinals. His final appearance came in 1985, the last time a player from Ireland played a snap in the league.
There have been times over the last four decades where it looked as though that was about to change, but we have never been as close as we are now.
Punter set to become first Irish NFL player since 1985
Daniel Whelan has been tipped to become an NFL player for a number of years now.
A native of Enniskerry, County Wicklow, he would move to the US with his family at the age of 13. He would quickly pick up American football, going on to become a star punter at UC Davis from 2017-2021.
While he would go undrafted that summer, there was an expectation he would end up in the league at some point.
He was part of the New Orelans Saints' training camp squad in 2022, although he was not retained for the regular season. Having then gone on to have a spell with the DC Defenders in the XFL earlier this year, he was given another opportunity with the Green Bay Packers this summer.
All of Daniel Whelan's punts from this preseason pic.twitter.com/NrNLX9wcPM
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) August 28, 2023
It looks as though he has grabbed it with both hands.
NFL teams are limited to 53 spaces on their regular season roster, meaning they usually only carry one punter once the season begins. It had been expected that last season's starter Pat O'Donnell would retain the spot for the upcoming campaign.
However, he was unexpectedly cut yesterday. Having impressed in pre-season, Daniel Whelan is now the only punter remaining on the roster.
Barring any unexpected twists and turns before tonight's deadline, he will be expected to suit up and play in the Packers' season opener against the Chicago Bears on September 10th.
Should he do so, he would bridge the 38 year gap between Irish NFL players.
Speaking to Balls a couple of years ago, Whelan explained how he quickly took to the sport after moving across the Atlantic as a teenager.
I was flyhalf so I kicked a lot but I got speared in a game and nearly broke my back so I stopped playing...
The football coach at high school came up to me after one of my soccer matches and said 'do you want to try out to be a kicker?' I started kicking and I was pretty natural at it.
Among the most stories franchises in the NFL, the Packers underperformed last season, going 8-9 and missing the play-offs. They also traded star quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the offseason, meaning expectations at Lambeau Field may not be quite as high as they have been in previous years.
It looks as though Daniel Whelan will be part of a new era with the team, an opportunity he will be keen to make the most of.
SEE ALSO: NBA Star Reveals Ambition To Play For Ireland National Team In The Future
