Dallas Cowboys cut Dan Bailey, second-most accurate kicker in NFL history
In a surprise move to many fans cross the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys cut kicker Dan Bailey on Saturday afternoon, the best kicker in franchise history.
Bailey has made the most field goals in Cowboys franchise history with 186 and is just the fourth Dallas kicker ever to make a Pro Bowl. He is also the second most-accurate kicker in NFL history, having made 88.2 percent of kicks in his seven-year career.
The 30-year-old suffered a groin injury last season that sidelined him for four games. He returned for the final five games of the year, but struggled — going 5-of-8 and missing the only two extra points of his career. Bailey had signed a seven-year, $22.5 million deal in 2014, and had three years left on that deal. The move will save Dallas $3.4 million on its salary cap.
Without Bailey, the Cowboys will go with Brett Maher, who has yet to kick in a regular-season game. The 28-year-old went undrafted out of Nebraska in 2013, and has bounced around each offseason since.
Maher has played in the CFL for the past four seasons, though, making 78.1 percent of his field goal attempts. He went 41-of-50 last season with the Ottawa Redblacks. The Kearney, Nebraska, native did drill a 57-yard field goal in the Cowboys’ final preseason game on Thursday.
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