The Dallas Cowboys are set for a “hostile” reunion with a 2022 starter after the veteran signed with the Los Angeles Rams in free agency. Brett Maher’s experience in Dallas was a mixed bag, but the kicker is now getting a fresh start with the Rams after being recently cut by the Denver Broncos.
The Rams and Maher came to an agreement on August 30, with NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero dropping the news on X.
“The #Rams are finalizing contract details with veteran kicker Brett Maher, source said,” Pelissero wrote.
It seemed likely that Maher would be picked up by a team after his recent release, which was due to the Broncos trading for New Orleans Saints kicker Will Lutz, who is reuniting with former coach Sean Payton.
The Rams were able to watch Maher a bit closer than the rest of the NFL, as the Rams and Broncos had joint practices during the final week of the preseason. They apparently were impressed enough to sign the veteran kicker.
The Cowboys and Rams are scheduled for a clash in Week 8, which will see Los Angeles travel east to Arlington, Texas for a October 29 kickoff.
Maher’s Second Stint in Dallas
A quick look at Maher’s latest season with the Cowboys may surprise national NFL fans. The kicker’s struggles with extra points in the postseason colored his overall performance considerably, but Maher actually had a solid year.
Pro Football Reference shows that the 33-year-old kicker made 90.6% of his field goal attempts, the best of his four NFL seasons. His 29 makes ties his personal best, which came with the Cowboys in 2018.
He knocked down 50 of 53 extra-point attempts, which isn’t great but a reasonable rate for that many attempts. The problems with Maher did not arrive until the postseason, when he seemingly got the “yips” when trying XPAs.
Over two games, Maher made just one extra-point on six attempts. Four of the misses came in the Cowboys’ Wild Card round victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It didn’t end up costing Dallas the game, but it raised red flags. Another miss against the San Francisco 49ers only hurt his case further.
Cowboys Have Their Kicker (For Now)
While Maher gets ready for his new team, Dallas has elected to stick with Brandon Aubrey ahead of the 2023 regular season. Aubrey kicked for the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions this past spring, but was then signed by the Cowboys to compete with Tristan Vizcaino for the starting gig.
Vizcaino was cut earlier in August, leaving Aubrey as the only kicker on the roster for the past few weeks. During the preseason, the former USFL standout only made one field goal attempt, but did look assured during the Cowboys’ final outing.
Aubrey made four of four extra-point attempts against the Las Vegas Raiders and went 1/2 on FGAs, both of which came from 59 yards out. There’s still some concern about Aubrey’s consistency, but he certainly has the leg power to make those deep attempts.
Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey good from 59
How dedicated the Cowboys are to Aubrey could be tested early, but Dallas could also be rewarded for giving Aubrey more time rather than signing and cutting several kickers in the preseason.
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2022 Cowboys Starter Signs with Rams in Free Agency: Report