Broncos to trade for Wil Lutz, release Brett Maher
The Broncos have solved their kicker issue by bringing in a player head coach Sean Payton knows well.
Denver is trading for New Orleans kicker Wil Lutz, according to multiple reports.
The Broncos will release Brett Maher, per multiple reports.
Lutz had been with New Orleans since 2016, though he missed the entire 2021 season due to injury. Last year, he came back and made 23-of-31 field goals and all 33 of his extra points.
In 97 career games, Lutz has made 84.6 percent of his field goals and 97.6 percent of extra points.
The Saints signed Blake Grupe as an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame in the spring and he’ll be the team’s kicker entering the 2023 season. Grupe also played at Arkansas State from 2017-2021. He connected on 5-of-6 field goals in the preseason, his only miss coming from a long 60 yards.
Lutz was 4-of-4 on field goals this preseason and 3-of-3 on extra points.
Maher missed a pair of field goals in the preseason opener, prompting Payton to say that the kicker was competing with players who might lose position battles on other clubs. In 54 games with Dallas and New Orleans, Maher has made 81 percent of his career field goals and 96 percent of extra points.
