Mat McBriar, the punter of the Dallas Cowboys, plans to undergo surgery next week to remove a cyst below his left knee. McBriar hopes to be back to 100-percent by the summer in time to hopefully rejoin the Cowboys for the 2012 season.
Dallas will have to make a decision on McBriar before that can happen though since the punter is an unrestricted free agent. Even if the Cowboys decide they want him back, McBriar can also choose to play elsewhere. In recent interviews, the punter said he wants to return to finish his career in Dallas but he will have to understand that his value dropped thanks to his injury problems in 2011.
McBriar was in the midst of a season low in punting average and kicks inside the 20. He missed the Cowboys' game against Seattle, replaced in that game by rookie Chris Jones. McBriar was then placed on Injured Reserve on Dec. 31, missing the final game of the season against the New York Giants.
In his eighth NFL season, McBriar finished with 58 punts for an average of 43.8 yards with 21 ending up inside the 20. The Australian punter's career average is 45.3 yards with 21.8 ending up inside the 20. His yardage average was the lowest it has been since his second year in the league and the kicks inside the 20 was the lowest for a full season since 2007 (17).
McBriar began to feel the leg pain in the game against the St. Louis Rams on Oct. 23 and Dallas watched as his average dropped after that.
If the Dallas Cowboys cut ties with the 32-year old punter, their next option is Chris Jones, a rookie with ten punts over his NFL career. He finished with an average of 42.6 yards per punt with four inside the 20. With McBriar's average higher than Jones, despite being injured, it might be a good idea to stick with the more experienced option in 2012.
McBriar just has to understand he is not worth as much financially as he once was.
Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Dallas Cowboys' fan since he was a child. His favorite players range from Roger Staubach and Tony Dorsett to the Triplets of the 90s and he enjoys talking about all Cowboys' related news, good or bad
