News of Wil Lutz’s upcoming core muscle surgery meant that the New Orleans Saints would be trying out free agent kickers on Monday, and it didn’t take them long to choose which one to sign: Brett Maher, who last kicked for the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 and 2019. ESPN’s Mike Triplett first reported the signing, which was confirmed by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill and Amie Just of the Times-Picayune | Advocate.
Maher, 31, first entered the NFL as a punter back in 2013 and has bounced all around ever since, working as a placekicker full-time in 2014. He’s spent time with six different NFL teams (twice with the Jets and Cowboys, plus stops in Washington, Cleveland, Houston, and Arizona) and three CFL teams over the years, though his only extended action came with Dallas.
He’s connected on 49 of 66 career field goal tries (74.2%) and missed just once on 69 extra-point attempts in 29 games. Maher also singlehandedly won the first victory in the Ottawa Redblacks’ franchise history by making all six field goals in an 18-17 surprise. So we’ve got that going for us.
He’s no Lutz, but Maher is an experienced leg who will get ample opportunity to make his case throughout the preseason. Hopefully he can hold down the fort until No. 3 is ready to return.
