ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — By the looks of The Great Kicking Competition at Broncos’ training camp, replacing Brandon McManus shouldn’t be much of a problem.
Granted, the Kick Off between Elliott Fry and Brett Maher was Tuesday morning on the first of August, and not before the Thursday night lights in mid-October. The ball sailed through the goal posts on all nine field goal attempts in practice before a friendly crowd of up to 3,000 at Broncos’ training center, and not during an AFC West matchup against the defending Super Bowl-champion Chiefs before a hostile environment at Arrowhead Stadium.
But all the Broncos’ two kickers can do is perform when asked and Fry made his kicks from 33, 38, 41 and 43 yards followed by Maher making his field goal attempts from 33, 38, 41 and 43 yards. Fry then made a 48-yard field goal when the horn blew, ending the Kick Off period.
Fry has been through several NFL kicking competitions over the years, although some were already decided for the other guy. He is just 5 of 6 in field goal attempts in his career. When he’s in these mano y mano Kick Offs, does he pay attention to the other guy?
“You’re definitely – it’s not like I’m hiding from it,’’ Fry said. “We both know what we’re doing. But you’re not focused on what he’s doing; you’re focused on what you’re doing. But, yeah, absolutely, I know if he goes in and makes one, I know if he makes it. I think that’s vice versa.”
Maher is one of the league’s most interesting kickers. He was superb for the Dallas Cowboys through a 17-game regular season last year, making 29 of 32 field goals, including 9 of 11 from at least 50 yards. He also kicked the third, 60-yard field goal in his career.
But then in the postseason, Maher inexplicably missed all four extra-point tries (from 33 yards out) in a first-round win against Tampa Bay and the following week in a second-round game kicked his first extra point into the line for a block.
The postseason extra point issue left him without a job until the Broncos signed him last week on a minimum salaried contract. (Maher kicked for Broncos' coach Sean Payton in New Orleans in 2021, making 16 of 18 field goals, but missed two of 12 extra points).
“What I’m learning every single year in the league, there is something that is going to test you and test your response to how you handle your business, how you handle outside stuff,’’ Maher said. “It was a tough lesson to learn, especially in the moment as I’m sure as you guys all saw. But I feel like I’ve also taken it as a way to learn and become more resilient and get a few more scars that can help propel you forward.”
So about that extra-point slump. Mental? Mechanical?
“I think there’s a little bit of both,’’ Maher said. “That drove a lot of my offseason work. I’m happy to be here with the opportunity. I’ll learn from it and move forward and become better from all sorts of situations, positive and negative.’’
McManus had been the Broncos’ kicker the previous nine seasons until he was released prior to OTAs in late-May. He is now with Jacksonville.
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