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The Dallas Cowboys could consider bringing back a former veteran.
As suggested by FanSided’s Maitland Rutledge, the Cowboys could benefit from considering a reunion with kicker Brett Maher. Dallas decided not to bring back Maher after a disastrous playoff showing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (four missed extra points). Rutledge argues that Dallas’ other veteran kicker on the roster — Tristan Vizcaino — has little experience and has just 12 career attempts to his name.
Rutledge writes that bringing Maher makes “total sense” considering Vizcaino’s lack of experience.
“Bringing back Maher to at least compete would make total sense,” writes Rutledge. “The last thing the Cowboys need is a kicker who cannot make the big ones. Viscaino could surprise everyone, but it would not be surprising to see Maher trot out there at some point during camp.”
Brett Maher Actually Had Solid Season With Cowboys in 2022
Maher actually had an efficient season last year, going 29-of-32 (90.6%) on field goal attempts along with 137 points scored, the third-highest mark in the NFL. Ironically enough, despite missing an NFL-record four extra point attempts in the Cowboys’ playoff win over the Buccaneers, Maher actually ranked second in the league in extra point attempts made. Furthermore, his field goal percentage actually ranked eighth among all kickers.
However, Dallas made it clear earlier in the offseason that they did not plan to bring back Maher after his notably bad playoff showing.
Maher’s playoff performance was so notable that Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson publicly criticized the kicker’s showing.
Cowboys Sign Another Kicker in Brandon Aubrey
Outside of Vizcaino, it’s worth mentioning that the Cowboys have since signed another kicker, Brandon Aubrey of the USFL. Aubrey has no experience in the NFL, but he’s won a USFL title with the Birmingham Stallions and converted 14-of-15 field goal attempts along with all 35 extra point attempts during the 2023 season.
As Nick Harris of the Cowboys’ official website writes, Aubrey is a former first-round draft pick of the MLS, appearing in 76 games as a professional soccer player.
“Aubrey, a native of Plano, was originally a star on the soccer field where he played four years at Notre Dame, scoring 15 goals in 76 appearances as a defender,” writes Harris. “He was drafted in the first round of the MLS Draft in 2017 by Toronto FC, but his soccer career came to an end the next year in 2018.”
While Aubrey certainly has solid credentials, it remains to be seen how reliable he is in an NFL game.
Outside of Aubrey, Vizcaino has experience in the NFL, but it’s very limited. The 26-year-old kicker has appeared in just 10 games since making his debut in 2020. Furthermore, he’s never served as a full-time kicker for a team, making his 10 appearances for four different teams.
Rutledge argues that the “big” questions at kicker could lead the Cowboys back to Maher, who has already had two different stints with the franchise.
“McCarthy indicated at the start of the offseason the team was starting over at kicker,” writes Rutledge. “Most suspected Dallas would bring in a veteran — maybe Robbie Gould or Mason Crosby — but so far that has not happened. With a talented offense and defense, special teams remains the only group with big questions at a key position. Kickers matter and right now pinning their hopes on Viscaino is not sitting well with most.”
While the Cowboys may be lacking a proven veteran kicker, it’s hard to envision Dallas bringing Maher back just months after his notable failure in the playoffs. If the Cowboys do sign a veteran kicker, it’s more likely they start fresh by signing an outside name such as Robbie Gould or Mason Crosby.
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