Cowboys Reportedly Signing Ex-Patriots Kicker After Brett Maher Fiasco

After Brett Maher’s nightmare performance in Tampa Bay, the Cowboys reportedly are turning to a former Patriots practice squadder for kicker insurance.

Dallas plans to sign Tristan Vizcaino to its practice squad this week, pending a physical, according to a report Wednesday from NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the Cowboys plan to stick with Maher after he shanked four extra points in Monday night’s 31-14 wild-card round win over the Buccaneers. But bringing in the 26-year-old Vizcaino will give them another option if that plan changes.

The Cowboys will be the ninth NFL team for Vizcaino, who spent most of this season in New England. He was with the Patriots in training camp last summer and later logged two stints on their P-squad, sandwiched around a one-game cameo with the Arizona Cardinals in mid-November.

Vizcaino went 2-for-2 on field goals and 3-for-3 on extra points in that game — a Week 10 win over the Los Angeles Rams — and later appeared in two games for the Patriots as a kickoff specialist.

New England chose not to sign Vizcaino to a future contract after its season ended. If it had, the journeyman kicker would have been ineligible to sign with another team.

The Cowboys will visit the San Francisco 49ers this Sunday in the divisional round, with the winner advancing to the NFC Championship Game.