Kicker Elliott Fry was waived by the Broncos with an injury designation, the team announced Tuesday. Denver signed long snapper Jack Landherr IV in a corresponding move.
Head coach Sean Payton said Fry pulled a muscle and didn’t view the injury to be significant. Payton didn’t specify whether the team will bring Fry back in the future or add another kicker to compete with veteran Brett Maher.
Fry, who attempted six field goals in three career games, signed with the team in May after longtime kicker Brandon McManus was released. He was the Broncos’ only kicker until they signed Maher before the start of training camp.
Both kickers were in a neck-and-neck battle for a roster spot, but struggled in Denver’s preseason opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Maher missed a 47-yard attempt, while Fry missed a 50-yarder. But Fry responded in a big way, kicking a 55-yard field goal with 11 seconds left in the first half. Maher got a shot at redemption as well, but his 52-yard attempt in the third quarter was blocked.
With Fry gone, Maher is in line to be Denver’s starting kicker come Week 1. Maher, who’s played one season with the New Orleans Saints and the last three with the Dallas Cowboys, had a strong regular season for Dallas in 2022, converting 90.6% of his field goal attempts while going 9 for 11 from 50-plus yards.
But Maher fell apart in the postseason. He missed four extra-point attempts in a Wild Card playoff win against Tampa Bay. Then, in Dallas’ loss to San Francisco in the divisional round, Maher’s lone PAT attempt was blocked.
The Cowboys decided against re-signing him in the offseason, and he sat in limbo until the Broncos reached out.
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