The Los Angeles Rams took decisive action by releasing veteran kicker Brett Maher on Tuesday. This move came just two days after he faltered in a crucial manner during their 24-17 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maher, who is 33 years old, had joined the Rams at the end of August, right after the training camp. He had been brought in during the offseason to fill the shoes of Matt Gay, who had secured a lucrative four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.
During his tenure with the Rams, Maher made 17 out of 23 field-goal attempts. It’s worth noting that all of his misses were from kicks that were 46 yards or longer. The final blows included a 53-yard attempt that hit the left upright in the first quarter, a wide left 51-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter, and an errant extra point.
Rams head coach Sean McVay didn’t mince words when discussing Maher’s future after the game. Maher’s struggles weren’t isolated incidents. He had previously missed two other kicks from over 50 yards in a Week 4 victory over the Colts. What’s particularly concerning is that all of these errors happened in covered stadiums without any wind factors.
Brett Maher’s journey to the Rams had its share of turbulence. He landed with the Rams the day after being cut by the Denver Broncos. However, he is most famously associated with his time in Dallas. Maher made headlines last season when he missed four extra-point attempts in an NFC wild-card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This unfortunate outing earned him the distinction of being the first player in recorded NFL history to miss so many extra-point attempts.
In response to Maher’s release, the Rams swiftly signed former Colts kicker Lucas Havrisik from the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad. Havrisik, who is 24 years old, already has some familiarity with the Rams’ coaching staff, as he previously played under Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer during their shared time at the University of Arizona.
