HOUSTON – The Texans are working out veteran kickers Brett Maher and Taylor Russolino on Tuesday after waiving kicker Matt Ammendola, according to league sources.
The Texans are keeping their options open at kicker. One option the Texans are contemplating is re-signing Ammendola to the practice squad, per a league source, elevating him and having him kick Sunday against the Denver Broncos. The Texans could designate regular kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn for return as soon as next week when he’s eligible after missing four weeks with a strained quadriceps. Fairbairn has made a speedy recovery with significant progress in recent weeks, per sources.
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“We’ll keep going with Matt,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said during a Monday afternoon press conference hours before the team released Ammendola. ‘We’ll keep going, give him opportunities.”
Ammendola, 26, missed a 58-yard field goal try that hit the crossbar Sunday during a potential game-tying kick in a 24-21 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also missed a 50-yard try in that game. He missed one field goal against the Arizona Cardinals after making all three of his kicks, including a 38-yard game-winner in a major road victory over the Cincinnati Bengals when Fairbairn was placed on injured reserve.
Maher, 34, was released by the Los Angeles Rams in October after missing two field goal attempts and an extra point in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Maher made 17 of 23 field goals and was 3 of 7 from beyond 50 yards and made 12 of 13 extra points before being released.
Maher has previous stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, the Texans in 2020, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets and Denver Broncos. He has also kicked in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Redblacks and Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
A former Nebraska standout, Maher has connected on 111 of 139 field goals and 140 of 147 extra points.
Two seasons ago, Maher became the first kicker in NFL history to hit four field goals of 60 yards or longer. Maher made 29 of 32 field goals and 9 of 11 on field goals of 50 yards or longer. He set the franchise record for most field goals over 50 yards in a season.
During the playoffs last season, Maher missed four of five extra points during the Cowboys’ wild-card playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He had an extra point blocked the following week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He was signed by the Broncos and then released when they traded for former New Orleans Saints kicker Wil Lutz.
The Rams then signed Maher to their practice squad before promoting him to their active roster.
Russsolino has kicked in the XFL for the Arlington Renegades as well as the St. Louis BattleHawks, the Denver Broncos and in the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes.
Aaron Wilson is a Texans and NFL reporter for KPRC 2 and click2houston.com.