Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy gives instruction during practice.
The Dallas Cowboys are saying goodbye to a roster member at a key position after he had a below-average performance at the team’s training camp. For the Cowboys, the position battle at kicker is a critical one to figure out, and they don’t see their answer in Tristan Vizcaino.
Vizcaino and Brandon Aubrey have been battling for the starting job since training camp began. Dallas saw enough of Vizcaino and released him, although both players apparently struggled and had “horrible” performances on August 5, according to the Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill Jr., who reported the news two days later.
“Both had horrible days on Saturday,” Hill wrote. “The Cowboys need to add another kicker to compete with Aubrey.”
ESPN’s Todd Archer shared the stats from the two kickers’ performances, stating that Vizcaino made just 50% of his attempts in practice on Saturday.
“Vizcaino went 22 of 35 in the first eight padded practices of training camp. He was 4 of 8 on Saturday. Aubrey has gone 26 of 35,” Archer posted on August 7.
Aubrey is a 28-year-old former soccer player from St. Louis who spent two years helping for the Birmingham Stallions win back-to-back USFL championships. During the 2023 season, he was 14-of-15 on field goal attempts and made 35 PATs, according to DallasCowboys.com.
“Despite veteran options such as Mason Crosby and Robbie Gould being available in the free agent market, the Cowboys remained insistent that they would cast a wide net to find a kicker option, including the USFL,” Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com wrote in early July.
Mike McCarthy Shoots Down Immediate Vizcaino Replacement
If you’re expecting the Cowboys to sign a new kicker immediately, that isn’t happening. Dallas is instead going to commit to Aubrey, at least for a short period.
Hill Jr. followed up his first post with an update from McCarthy that said the team is not making any vet additions right away. However, the Cowboys head coach did say that the team is open to making an addition in the future, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota.
“Mike McCarthy: ‘We’re always open to (possibly adding a veteran). But I’m excited about our young guy (Brandon Aubrey).’ When asked about the possibility of adding a veteran kicker: ‘We’re always open for business,'” Machota wrote.
Dallas is still figuring out issues at the position after electing to move on from Brett Maher after the 2022 season. Maher was a mixed bag, making 90.6% of his FG attempts in the regular season but missing five extra points over the Cowboys’ two playoff games last January.
Cowboys Offer Training Camp Updates
While Aubrey attempts to tighten up after Vizcaino’s release, the Cowboys are also seeing other key developments in training camp. Namely, the return of rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker.
The former Michigan star has been out on the non-football injury list, but is returning on August 7, according to Machota. The rookie will be a limited participant, but it’s definitely an encouraging sign for Dallas to get him involved again.
However, as Schoonmaker comes back, running back Ronald Jones II will be missing practice with a groin issue, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken.
“Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy told reporters RB Ronald Jones (groin) is going to miss some time and won’t practice today,” Gehlken wrote.
Jones is set to miss the team’s first two games of the regular season due to a suspension after testing positive for PEDs.