With all the buzz around the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff changes, it is a good time to touch on a player the team has decided not to move forward with.
Those close to Jerry Jones said Wednesday that the team would start over at kicker. Honestly, I was surprised they did not want to bring Brett Maher back even after a rough postseason.
Jerry Jones said the Cowboys are starting over at kicker
— Clarence Hill Jr (@clarencehilljr) February 1, 2023
The Cowboys had a training camp kicking contest between undrafted rookie Jonathan Garibay and Lirim Hajrullahu that went so poorly that they signed Maher. I was not a fan at the time, but I was impressed throughout the year.
Maher finished the regular season making 29 of 32 field goals and 50 of 53 extra-point attempts in 17 games. Things quickly changed once the Cowboys entered the playoffs.
In the 31-14 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round, Maher missed four of five extra-point attempts, making him the first player in NFL history to miss three-plus extra points in a postseason game.
Do you know what is funny? This was not the first record he set this season.
Maher also holds the record for most 60-plus-yard field goals in a career. He is four-of-four from 60-plus; no other kicker has more than two.
Maher made both of his field goal attempts in the divisional-round loss to the 49ers, which may have saved his job for at least one more year; evidentially, it did not.
I thought he did enough outside of his struggle in the postseason to at least have a shot to kick for the team next year, but we all know how Jerry works.
So, here we are again.
For the second consecutive year, the Cowboys have yet to learn who their kicker will be during the 2023 season. A few veteran names are out there if the Cowboys choose to sign someone this off-season.
Many top kickers in the league should become available this off-season — names like Mason Crosby, Robbie Gould, Matt Prater, Greg Zuerlein, and Matt Gay.
The Cowboys cut Zuerlein after he missed six extra points and six field goals in 2021. They should not go after him again.
A name I would keep an eye on is Crosby. Mike McCarthy coached him in Green Bay, and if he becomes a free agent, look for Dallas to take a chance on him.
Crosby ranks No. 12 in NFL history in scoring. He has produced 1,877 points in his 16-year career and has ended the Cowboys’ season plenty of times. It would be great to have him on our side winning the game for once.
Maher did enough to return as the Cowboys’ kicker next season. Jerry thought otherwise. If Dallas finds itself in the same situation as last season, Maher might return for like the 50th time.
Kickers matter, and if I had to make my pick on who I’d want for the Cowboys next season, it would be either Crosby or Gould. I don’t think I’ve ever seen these guys miss. At least not against the Cowboys, anyway.
Why not bring back Maher AND make it a competition with others? Makes no sense to me – the guy had a bad game and a half. It’s out of his system (hopefully) and a new season is a new season. I’d take making 50-60+ yd fg’s any day.
The problem with Maher is he can make 50 to 60 yard field goals, but will consistently struggle with the 35 and 40 yard field goals. Not to mention his inability to make an extra point routinely. MAHER IS NOT THE ANSWER!!!!
Matt Gay would solve the kicking problems for the next ten years. He is more accurate than Maher and puts more kickoffs in the endzone.
I don’t think Crosby is all that good!! Plus he don’t have that big of a leg!! You can’t count on him making a field goal from more than 50 yards!! Every time I’ve watched they’re games, Rodgers had to get him inside 50 yards to have a chance at making the field goal!! So out of the kickers you named off I’d go with either Robbie Gould or Matt Prater!! They both have big legs and are accurate kickers…. Especially Robbie Gould, I don’t think I ever seen him miss a field goal, no matter how long it was!! Gould would be my first choice, and Prater would be my 2nd choice out of those kickers you named off!!
HOPEFULLY, the Cowboys have learned a hard lesson as it pertains to players they’ve cut for one reason or another. Brett Maher being resigned was a terrible mistake from the very beginning. I commented earlier before the season began that Maher would hurt the Cowboys at some point. Sadly
I was right! I only hope we’ve seen the LAST OF MAHER in a Cowboys uniform.