DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The Dallas Cowboys are making a couple of moves on their special teams unit ahead of their preseason matchup vs the Houston Texans this Saturday at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas has cut Hunter Niswander, who served as the team's kicker in the first two preseason games. Niswander also split punting duties with Bryan Anger.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said on Wednesday that Niswander is “having an issue.” That issue, apparently, is a back injury that occurred in Monday's practice, ESPN's Todd Archer reports.
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In his place, the Cowboys have signed Lirim Hajrullahu, a native of Kosovo, who reportedly immigrated to Canada at a young age.
Hajrullahu, 31, spent six seasons in the Canadian Football League and was a two-time All-Star. He has bounced around the NFL and was most recently in the training camp of the Carolina Panthers. He previously spent time in Los Angeles with Bones Fassel, the former Rams special-teams coordinator who now has the same role in Dallas.
With Niswander departing, Anger will take over full-time punting duties, while Hajrullahu will handle kickoffs and field goals.
The Cowboys expected field goal kicker, Greg Zuerlein, is still on track to be ready for the team's season opener on Sept. 9 vs Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Fassel said Thursday that the team is hoping Zuerlein can kick in the final preseason game vs Jacksonville on Aug. 29.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports that Zuerlein converted all eight of his field goal attempts prior to the Cowboys' second preseason game vs the Cardinals last week.
