Cornerback Prince Amukamara and defensive end Noah Spence weren’t the only players let go by the Saints today. The team also made a notable special teams move, as they waived/injured kicker Brett Maher (via The Athletic’s Katherine Terrell on Twitter). The team also placed offensive lineman Kyle Murphy on injured reserve and waived running back Stevie Scott.
[RELATED: Saints Cut Prince Amukamara]
The Saints brought in Maher earlier this month after starter Wil Lutz suffered a groin injury. According to Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football on Twitter, Maher suffered his own groin injury while warming up for New Orleans’ preseason opener. That injury ultimately led to his release.
Maher was looking for an opportunity to relaunch a career that paused when the Cowboys cut him late in the 2019 season. Maher, 31, did not kick in 2020. A two-year Dallas kicker, Maher had spent time with five franchises since, including stints with the Jets, Washington, Texans, and Cardinals. Arizona retained Maher via reserve/futures contract in January but cut him in March.
During his time in Dallas, Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to make three 60-plus-yard field goals, accomplishing this feat during the 2018 and ’19 seasons. However, after he made more than 80% of his field goals in 2018, Maher was just 20-for-30 a year later. Maher first broke into the NFL as a UDFA in 2013, but after failing to secure a role, he moved to the CFL for a four-season run.
Murphy, 27, joined the Saints earlier this offseason. The former sixth-round pick has seen time in six career games (three starts). Scott was a 2021 undrafted free agent out of Indiana University.
Leave him in Canada this time…. The man was a disgrace to the Cowboys for a couple of years.
The CFL is actually a terrific place to scout for kickers and punters. The weather conditions can change radically during games in some of those cities. You always want special team players who can mentally block out those kinds of distractions.