The Los Angeles Rams made a decisive move by parting ways with veteran kicker Brett Maher on Tuesday. This decision came on the heels of Maher’s critical performance in the Rams’ 24-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers just two days earlier.
Maher, aged 33, had joined the Rams at the end of August, following the training camp. He was brought in during the offseason to replace Matt Gay, who had signed a lucrative four-year, $22.5 million contract with the Indianapolis Colts in free agency.
During his time with the Rams, Maher made 17 out of 23 field-goal attempts, with all his misses coming from kicks that were 46 yards or longer. Notable among his recent misses were 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 a missed extra point.
Rams head coach Sean McVay did not mince words regarding Maher’s future after the game, as these struggles were not isolated incidents. Maher had previously missed two other kicks from over 50 yards in a Week 4 victory over the Colts, all of which occurred in indoor stadiums without wind factors.
Brett Maher’s journey to the Rams had its share of turbulence, as he joined the team a day after being released by the Denver Broncos. However, he is most famously known for his time with the Dallas Cowboys, where he garnered attention for missing four extra-point attempts in an NFC wild-card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. This unfortunate performance 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 quickly signed former Colts kicker Lucas Havrisik from the Cleveland Browns’ practice squad. Havrisik, aged 24, has prior experience with the Rams’ coaching staff, having played under Rams assistant special teams coach Jeremy Springer during their time at the University of Arizona.
