The kicking battle is over; Brett Maher has won the job

In the offseason, the Denver Broncos made the slightly shocking decision to let go of long-time kicker Brandon McManus. McManus was the last remaining player on the Broncos roster who was a part of the Super Bowl-winning team in 2016.

His departure led to a kicking battle between Brett Maher and Elliot Fry. After the first week of the preseason, it looked as if it was Fry who might win the job as he went 1-for-2 on field goals while Maher went 0-for-2. But it has been all Maher since as he has been the lone kicker for the Broncos in the final two preseason games.

Reports from Broncos training camp are saying that Maher is making 90% of all kicks during practice. The final two preseason games seem to be a reflection of that. He is 4-for-4 on field goals, 7-for-7 on extra points and seems to have the starting job all but locked up.

It doesn’t come as a surprise though, as Maher is by far the more talented kicker. He is a 10-year veteran out of Nebraska who has had four years of experience as a starting kicker. In 2022, he had the best field goal percentage of his career, as he made 90.6% of all field goal attempts. That number ranked ninth among all starting kickers last season and seventh among those who had a minimum of 30 attempts.

For additional context, Brandon McManus had a field goal percentage of just 77.8% in 2022. That’s a near 13% increase in field goal percentage, which can make a huge difference in the course of an NFL season. That type of increase can add three or more wins in a season and the value of that can not be understated. The Broncos certainly upgraded at the kicker position.

It’s also a feel-good story for Maher. During the playoffs last season, he infamously missed four extra points in one game, marking the first time in NFL history a kicker has ever done so. The Dallas Cowboys were still able to win the game and Maher rebounded the next week, but it was apparently too late as the Cowboys’ faith in him had been relinquished.

Maher was cut from the roster and later signed by the Broncos. But maybe a fresh start will be the best thing for the kicker. A chance to get away from the noise and prove himself to a different coaching staff. And that is exactly what he is doing.

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