The New Orleans Saints were dealt some tough injury news on Monday, as the training staff revealed that is would be evaluating kicker Will Lutz for a potential core muscle surgery. The 27-year-old, who’s battled ailments throughout the offseason confirmed that he would be missing significant time later in the morning.
“Unfortunately, I found out that my training camp will be cut short due to an injury that had progressively worsened,” Lutz wrote in a note that he posted on Twitter. After talking with our excellent medical team and training staff, as well as a second opinion from a specialist, we’ve decided it’s in our best interest to get this fixed now in order to miss the least amount of time possible. Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers!
“I love the game of football, so sitting won’t be easy, but I look forward to attacking rehab and coming back healthier and stronger to help this team win! WHODAT!”
With a big hole to fill, the Saints wasted no time in going after another kicker. According to ESPN’s Mike Triplett, New Orleans plans to sign former Dallas Cowboys kicker Brett Maher after he worked out for New Orleans on Monday.
Saints are signing kicker Brett Maher after Monday’s auditions to fill in for injured Wil Lutz, per source. Maher spent two seasons as Cowboys’ kicker from 2018-19 and has been on practice squads/offseason rosters since then with Jets, WFT, Texans, Cardinals
— Mike Triplett (@MikeTriplett) August 9, 2021
Maher, 31, had his only starting stint in the NFL with the Cowboys during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During his first year in Dallas, he hit 80.6 percent of his field goals and showed off an impressive leg by drilling a 62-yarder in December of that year. He went on to become the first player in league history to make three field goals from 60+ yards.
However, during the 2019 campaign, Maher struggled with accuracy. He made just 20 of his 30 field goal attempts and was eventually replaced by Kai Forbath later in the year. He left the Cowboys at the end of the season and has since spent time on the practice squads of the New York Jets, the Washington Football Team, the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals.
Maher came into the NFL way back in 2013 as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska. He landed on the Jets and the Cowboys during his rookie campaign, before heading to the Canadian Football League for a few years. He returned to the NFL in 2017 with the Cleveland Browns before getting his big breakthrough the following season.
With Lutz sidelined for at least a few weeks, Maher finds himself in a position to show off his skills on a major stage. Although his spot won’t be secure once the Saints usual starter returns, he could get interest from around the league if he plays well.
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