The Dallas Cowboys sign a second kicker, Greg Zuerlein, to compete with Kai Forbath
The Dallas Cowboys have apparently learned their lesson after waiting too long to release struggling kicker Brett Maher and ruining their season in 2019.
They will take two veteran kickers to training camp in 2020.
The team signed former Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein to a three-year deal worth $7.5 million, according to sources.
The 32-year old kicker will compete against Kai Forbath, who signed a one-year, $1.18 million deal to return to the Cowboys.
Forbath replaced Maher, who missed a league-high 10 field goals through the Cowboys’s first 13 games of 2019. Forbath was a perfect in the final three games, converting 10 field goals and 10 extra points.
Zuerlein struggled last season, but that was believed to be largely due to injuries. He converted 24 of 33 his field-goal attempts, a rate of just 72.7 percent. His nine missed field goals in 2019 were the second-most in the NFL behind Maher.
But Zuerlein is hoping for a revival in Dallas where he will be reunited with his former Rams special teams coach John Fassel.
Given the contract commitment and relationship with Fassel, Zuerlein should be the favorite to win the job. He is known for his powerful leg and that should play well at AT&T Stadium.
But the job won’t be given to him as Forbath is legitimate competition.
The Cowboys finally completed the deal with nose tackle Dontari Poe, officially signing him to a two-year, $10.5 million, per ESPN.
This story was originally published March 27, 2020 at 4:12 PM.
