Irish-born punter Daniel Whelan has signed a contract extension worth $7 million with the Green Bay Packers.
Whelan, a native of Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, has put pen to paper on a three-year deal which will keep him at Lambeau Field until 2028.
The extension has a total value of $7 million with a guaranteed figure of $2 million. The new money elevates Whelan towards the top end of NFL punters in terms of annual average.
Whelan, aged 26, is entering his third year with the Packers. His two seasons so far are among the top three single year averages for punting yards in Green Bay history.
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According to the Packers, his 46.2 yard average in 2023 was the second best season in team history, while his 46.1 yard average a year later ranks third. Of all players to have recorded 100+ punts with the team, Whelan has the top punting average. Last season, the Wicklow man became the first punter in Packers history to average more than 46 yards per punt.
Whelan entered the NFL in 2022 when signing for the New Orleans Saints during preseason. He was cut before final rosters were named, spending that season with the DC Defenders in the lower ranked XFL. His performances there saw him picked up by Green Bay, where he subsequently made the regular season roster.
When lining out in 2023, Whelan became the first Irish-born NFL player in a regular season game since 1985. He lived in Ireland until the age of 13 before moving to California due to his mother’s work. Whelan first started punting aged 16 and earned a scholarship to University of California Davis.
He will feature in the Packers’ regular season opener against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
