The Arizona Cardinals have released former Canadian Football League kicker Brett Maher.
Arizona signed veteran kicker Matt Prater during NFL free agency, which caused the move to let Maher go.
Maher had stints on the practice squads of the Cardinals, Houston Texans, Washington Football Team, and attended training camp with the New York Jets in 2020.
Maher was released by the Jets near the end of training camp last year after losing the kicking competition to 27-year-old Sam Ficken. Special teams coordinator Brant Boyer said it was a close battle.
The 31-year-old Maher hit on 20-of-30 field goal attempts (66.7 percent) prior to being cut by the Dallas Cowboys on December 9 in 2019. He had a long of 63 yards, but was one-for-five from 40-49 yards and four-for-eight from 50-plus. In 2018, Maher hit on 29-of-36 three point tries (80.6 per cent), including six-of-seven from 50-plus yards.
The Cowboys signed Maher in April 2018. He beat out Dan Bailey — the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history — to win the job in Dallas. Through two seasons and 29 games with the Cowboys, Maher connected on 49-of-63 field goals (74.2 percent) and made good on 68-of-69 extra point kicks.
Maher is the only kicker in NFL history with three field goals of at least 60 yards, but he had a league-high ten misses in 2019.
After going unselected in the 2013 NFL draft, Maher signed with the Jets but he was released two and a half months later. Dallas brought him in for two weeks of training camp that August, but let him go.
Winnipeg had Maher at training camp in 2014 but was cut and later signed with Ottawa. He made 18-of-25 field goals with the Redblacks and punted for a 45.4-yard average.
Maher had his best Canadian season in 2017 when he recorded a 46.7-yard punting average and made 82 percent of his field goals (41-for-50) for the Redblacks. He hit the exact same number of field goals on as many attempts for Hamilton in 2016 with a 45.9 punting average.
The experienced Maher has made over $1.1 million in the NFL and is a free agent on both sides of the border.