FRISCO, Texas -- Dan Bailey, the second-most accurate kicker in NFL history, has been released by the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys opted to keep Brett Maher, who has not kicked in a regular-season game, over Bailey, their kicker since 2011. In the preseason, Maher made four of his five field goal attempts, including a 57-yarder in Thursday's preseason finale against the Houston Texans.
Bailey made his only attempt in the preseason, a 35-yarder against the Cincinnati Bengals. In training camp practices in Oxnard, California, Bailey missed only five attempts in special-teams and 11-on-11 drills, with four coming in consecutive practices.
Bailey is coming off his worst season, in which he missed four games because of a groin injury and connected on 15 of 20 field goal tries. He also missed the first two extra points of his career. All of his misses came after he was injured.
Maher was signed by the Cowboys in April after sitting out of football in 2017 following his release from the Cleveland Browns. In 2016, he made 41 of 50 field goal attempts for the Hamilton Tiger Cats of the CFL. He went to training camp with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2013 but was released.
Bailey won the Cowboys' kicker job in 2011 as an undrafted free agent out of Oklahoma State. He made 26 straight kicks, an NFL rookie record. He has made 27 field goals of at least 50 yards in the regular season and three more in the playoffs. In 2015, he was named to the Pro Bowl. The Cowboys signed him to a seven-year contract in 2014.
With the move, the Cowboys will save $3.4 million against the cap this year. Maher will make $480,000.