Dallas Cowboys shockingly release longtime kicker Dan Bailey
The Dallas Cowboys made several roster cuts on Saturday. But no move was more shocking than the unexpected release of veteran kicker Dan Bailey.
2018 has been a season of change for the Dallas Cowboys. In April, the Cowboys released longtime number one wide receiver, Dez Bryant. The following month, veteran tight end Jason Witten up and retired. On Saturday, Dallas elected to part ways with kicker Dan Bailey as well.
Once considered the most accurate kicker in NFL history, a groin injury suffered by Bailey last season was believed to be the cause for him missing on two extra point attempts (the first of his career) and three field goal attempts in the team’s final five games of 2017.
The 30-year old kicker holds several franchise records including most made career field goals with 186. His current field goal percentage of 88.2 is the second highest in league history. But Bailey also signed a massive seven-year, $22.5 million deal back in 2014, so salary cap space likely played a large part in his release.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Bailey was scheduled to make $3.4 million this season. He’ll be replaced by Brett Maher who’ll make just $480K. Maher is a former CFL kicker who spent last year out of football entirely. The 28-year old was impressive in this offseason, even hitting a 57-yarder with ease in the Cowboys final preseason game on Thursday night. Maher can also act as a backup to punter Chris Jones.
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The release of Dan Bailey marks the end of an era of real consistency at the kicker position for the Dallas Cowboys since 2011. Bailey will remain as one of the most beloved and accurate kickers in Cowboy lore and should find a new NFL home rather quickly.
In his place is a kicker in Brett Maher who appears to have a very powerful leg but lacks any regular season experience. So it’s still a mystery whether he can be as clutch as his predecessor was for several years in Dallas.