Broncos Cut Kicker; Did Cowboys Ex Brett Maher Survive?

Former Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher may be the favorite to start in Denver, but the Broncos remain noncommittal as the preseason continues.

While the Dallas Cowboys continue to cling to the hope that rookie Brandon Aubrey can win the kicker job, the guy he is trying to replace - former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher has found a new home with the Denver Broncos - and is fighting to keep it that way.

The life of an NFL kicker is a difficult one. It is a thankless occupation with minimal job security. Yet, one mistake could cement a legacy. Four in a game could end a career.

Maher’s penultimate game as a Cowboy will live on in infamy. He attempted five extra points in Dallas’ Wild Card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He made one. A 31-14 victory rarely brings as negative of a storyline as Maher’s struggles did.

To his credit, he rebounded in the Divisional Round matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, but the damage was done. The Cowboys and their kicker went their separate ways this offseason.

Now in Denver, Maher is in the midst of a preseason position battle. Veteran kicker Elliott Fry was the only Bronco to make a field goal during their 18-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. He hit a 55-yard field goal and missed another from 50 yards away. Maher missed two of his own, though they both converted a single extra point.

A lower-body injury resulted in Fry being waived on Tuesday, seemingly handing the spot to Maher. For now, it is his to lose, at least on paper. Head coach Sean Payton hesitated to call the race over.

“We’ll go day to day with where we’re at with the kickers … Brett had a good day today,” said Payton, adding with some additional apprehension, "Now there’s probably seven teams that have a real kicking battle. So he’s competing with those guys that come out of those clubs.”

Dallas knows this drill. Even with Aubrey the only kicker in Cowboys camp, there is an awareness of the likes of vets like Robbie Gould, Ryan Succup and Mason Crosby waiting patiently by the phone.

It certainly sounds like Denver will be in on kicker castaways. If Maher is going to win the Broncos over, he will have to do more than just stay healthy. ... and he'll have to be better than he was at the end of his Dallas stint.

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