Broncos HC Sean Payton not worried about new kicker's playoff struggles

The Broncos signed Brett Maher last week, after the 33-year-old spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys. Including the playoffs, Maher has played 50 of his 58 career games with Dallas.

The former Nebraska Cornhusker missed only three of his 53 extra points attempts in the 2022 regular season, but one of them came in his only try in Week 18. Maher then had an historically bad performance in the Cowboys' 31-14 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their NFC wild-card game, misfiring on his first four point after tries, before finally converting on his fifth attempt.

He made both of his field goal tries in Dallas' divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers but failed on his lone extra point kick.

Maher went 73-for-74 across his first two NFL seasons (including the playoffs) with the Cowboys in 2018 and 2019 and won three NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, before spending the 2020 campaign on numerous teams' practice squads. He was solid again in 2021 (playing eight games) for Payton's New Orleans Saints, going 16-18 on field goals and 10-for-12 on extra points.

Denver's kicking vacancy opened up this summer after the team released longtime Bronco Brandon McManus in May. McManus had been the last remaining player in the organization from their Super Bowl 50 team.

The 32-year-old signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars less than 48 hours after being let go by Denver.