Getty Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys still have a giant hole to fill at kicker after Brett Maher had a dreadful end to the 2022 season. Dallas opted not to draft a kicker meaning the team will need to look to an available veteran to bolster the position with Tristan Vizcaino as the only specialist on the roster.
ESPN’s Todd Archer labeled former 49ers kicker Robbie Gould as a potential option for the Cowboys. Gould also had stints with the Giants and Bears, including being named an All-Pro and Pro Bowler in Chicago following the 2006 season.
“Owner Jerry Jones conceded the team will look at veterans currently available, such as Robbie Gould,” Archer noted on May 1, 2023. “He also said he would not rule the potential return of Brett Maher, who had a terrific regular season and set a team record for points in a season in 2022 before missing six extra point attempts in the last three games, including four in the wild-card win against the Buccaneers. The only kicker on the roster at the moment is Tristan Vizcaino.”
Cowboys Rumors: Former Pro Bowl Kicker Robbie Gould Wants to Sign With a Contender
Gould played in all 17 games for the Niners in 2022 connecting on 84.4% of his kicks and an impressive 98% of extra-point attempts. The kicker has already ruled out a return to San Francisco after completing a two-year, $7.2 million contract with the team.
Gould had a $4 million salary in 2022. During an April 21 interview with NFL.com’s Coral Smith, Gould noted he wants to land with a contender while also being closer to his family in Chicago.
“Obviously I want to play closer to home, that’s one of the big things that’s meant a lot to me, and we’re filtering through those opportunities, and waiting for the right time to be able to do that,” Gould noted. “I’d love to win if possible, so I’m kind of being a little picky with that, but at 40 years old and playing 18 years in the league, I think I’ve earned the ability to do that.”
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Following the NFL Draft: ‘We’ll Be Looking at More of a Veteran Kicker’
Earlier this offseason, Jones ruled out Maher returning to Dallas as the kicker hit free agency. Following the draft, Jones backtracked a bit by refusing to close the door on Maher’s return, but adding another veteran kicker is a more realistic option for Dallas.
“We get one that’s more likely to have the yips or whatever,” Jones joked during an April 29 press conference. “No, we’ll be looking at more of a veteran kicker.
“…[On re-signing Maher] That’s probably getting a little too into our strategies there a little bit. And obviously we want to come up with the best solution that we can there, but we didn’t get the kicker opportunity that we thought we might get in the draft. And we had other priorities when we had a chance to get it we took somebody else, obviously.”
Whether it is Gould or another veteran, fans can expect Dallas to sign another player to at least create a training camp competition with Vizcaino. It remains to be seen just how aggressive the Cowboys will get at the position given the team’s kicking woes during the postseason.