6:36pm: To make room for McBriar, the Chargers have released center Jeff Baca, reports Eric Williams of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
6:06pm: Two days after Chargers punter Mike Scifres suffered a broken clavicle against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football, San Diego has found its replacement, signing former Cowboys punter Mat McBriar, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego. McBriar, a veteran of 11 NFL seasons, has also spent time with the Broncos, Seahawks, Eagles, Steelers, but most of his career has been spent in Dallas, where he played from 2003-11.
McBriar, a 35-year-old Australian native, was undrafted out of Hawaii in 2003. He led the league in yards per punt in both 2006 and 2010, and was selected to the Pro Bowl in both years. At one point, he was the highest-paid punter in the league, having signed a five-year, $8.5MM extension with the Cowboys in 2007. McBriar last saw NFL action during the latter portion of the 2013 season, when Pittsburgh signed him to replace Zoltan Mesko.
The Chargers currently have a full 53-man roster, meaning they’ll have to make a transaction to free space for McBriar. The club doesn’t plan to place Scifres on injured reserve because it believes he can return for the postseason, so San Diego will presumably carry two punters for now.