Saints cut kicker John Carney, 45

NEW ORLEANS, Dec. 22 (UPI) -- The New Orleans Saints released 45-year-old kicker John Carney, who has been in the NFL for more that two decades, the team announced Tuesday.

Carney, the oldest active player in the NFL, was the starting kicker in the first 11 games this season, connecting on 13-of-17 field goals before being replaced by Garrett Hartley.

In his 21-year career, Carney, who had been signed by the Saints as a free agent in August, converted 82.4 percent of his field goal attempts, hitting 473 attempts and 625 extra points for an overall total of 2,044 points. He put in two stints with the Saints and also played for the San Diego Chargers (twice), old Los Angeles Rams, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and the New York Giants.

Carney, who played for Notre Dame before going to the NFL, was a Pro Bowl selection with the Chargers in 1994 and with the Giants in 2008.