Dallas Cowboys release kicker Brett Maher
FRISCO, Texas - The Cowboys’ kicking woes finally caught up with Brett Maher, who was released by the team on Monday.
Dallas signed veteran free agent kicker Kai Forbath, who most recently played for the New England Patriots.
The Cowboys hosted three kickers for workouts on Monday morning, and decided to make the change after Maher continued to struggle. He had another critical miss during last Thursday's game at Chicago, his third in two games and NFL-leading 10th of the season.
Maher is the only kicker in NFL history with three field goals of at least 60 yards, but the Cowboys couldn't count on him for the shorter ones that are often more critical. In his second season with Dallas, Maher was just 1 of 5 in the 40 to 49-yard range and had two more misses in the 30 to 39-yard range.
Maher had never kicked in the NFL when he was the surprising choice over trusted veteran Dan Bailey coming out of the preseason last year. Maher kicked a 62-yarder in 2018 and added another from 62 along with one from 63 this season.
The Cowboys had Forbath on their roster during the offseason in 2012, cutting him that spring before he joined NFC East rival Washington and led the NFL at 94% by making 17 of 18 kicks as a rookie that year. He spent four seasons with Redskins and two in Minnesota. He played three games last season for Jacksonville and had one appearance for the Patriots earlier this season. He made a 23-yarder while missing one of two extra points in the Patriots' 28-22 loss at Houston.
Forbath's first game for the Cowboys will be on Sunday, when Dallas hosts the Los Angeles Rams at AT&T Stadium (3:25 p.m. on FOX4).