Jerry Jones reveals Cowboys’ plan to fix the kicking problem
Worried about the Cowboys’ kicking woes in 2023? Jerry Jones has a foolproof plan to address that issue.
The Dallas Cowboys kicker woes were on full display throughout the 2022 postseason, and the franchise has made it abundantly clear that it’s looking for a new reliable kicker for the future.
In the Jerry Jones era, Dallas has only selected two kickers, Nick Folk in 2007 and David Buehler in 2011. Neither kicker made a lasting impact on the team, and the Cowboys weren’t about to waste draft capital for another hyped-up player at the position.
Jones once said he believed the younger kickers were, the less chance they had of getting the yips. So that would suggest the Cowboys would be sniffing around for a kicker in the draft, right? Not quite.
After draft weekend, Jones has since walked back his comments and told the media that he plans on scouting more “veteran” kickers.
Jerry Jones plans on getting the Cowboys a veteran kicker
The Cowboys’ kicker made history for the wrong reasons this past postseason — the 33-year-old Brett Maher, who spent a season at New Orleans before starting his second stint in Dallas in 2022, made just one of his six extra-point attempts in the playoffs.
Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to miss four extra-point attempts in a game in the Wild Card round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Luckily the Cowboys still came away with a win, but it was obvious that the team couldn’t rely on Maher’s leg anymore.
Dallas was content to let Maher become a free agent this offseason and remains on the prowl for an older kicker. Of the other free agent options, the Cowboys could take a flyer on Mason Crosby, Ryan Succop, or Robbie Gould.
Signing a dependable kicker won’t solve all of the Cowboys’ problems in 2023, yet Dallas will be able to go to sleep better each night knowing the team at least has some degree of stability in the special teams department.