The journey of Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey to the NFL is something of a legend around the team. He was a collegiate soccer player, and a good one–he played for Notre Dame, and played professionally after his career with the Irish was over. He did not latch on, though, with Major League Soccer despite having been a first-round pick and eventually was set to give up pro sports altogether.
But then his wife saw a kicker during an NFL game miss a kick, and told him he should try to do that. And he did, working on the intricacies of place-kicking and eventually getting a shot in the USFL before the Cowboys gave him a try in training camp in 2023. Since then, all Aubrey has done is make 88.2% of this field goals in three seasons, good for fifth all-time, and gone 126-for-130 on PATs.
He’s made three Pro Bowls in three years, and has been either first-team or second-team All Pro in each of his NFL seasons. Now, the Cowboys–who have promised to be aggressive in free agency this offseason–will have to pay Aubrey.
Brandon Aubrey Could Receive Record Contract
Part of being aggressive in free agency involves restructuring contracts to create cap room, but Aubrey is one of the contracts the Cowboys will need a bump up. He is currently on a three-year, $2.7 million deal that is expiring, and will need to make market value for kickers of his quality. That would be, according to Spotrac, a four-year, $25.8 million contract from the Cowboys, which has the potential to be a record deal for a kicker.
The Chiefs‘ Harrison Butker is the current high mark, at $6.4 million per year.
Aubrey, as a player with three years behind him, is a restricted free agent, and according to ESPN’s Todd Archer, the likely play with him is a second-round tender from the Cowboys.
Wrote Archer: “Since he was not drafted, All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey is likely to receive the second-round tender, which is projected to be a little more than $6 million. The Cowboys had talks with Aubrey’s agent, Todd France, on a multiyear deal last summer but never got close. Perhaps those get rekindled in the offseason, which could make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the NFL but with a cap number of less than $6 million for 2026.
Cowboys Still Need a Long-Term Deal
Basically, the tender would be a place-holder contract, a deal that guarantees a 2026 salary for one year to the player while allowing him to seek offers from other teams. Other teams can make the offer, but the Cowboys will be allowed to match it. If the Cowboys do not match it and Aubrey leaves, Dallas gets a second-round pick in return.
Archer is right in that the tender amount could exceed $6 million, but Over the Cap currently projects it at $5.7 million.
Either way, the Cowboys will need to budget for more money for Aubrey, and significantly more. The likely outcome is that they put the tender in place, then negotiate a deal with Aubrey and France that lowers his cap hit for next season but keeps him in place, long-term.
Kickers have never been more valuable than they are now, and how the Cowboys handle Aubrey’s free agency should reflect that.
Cowboys Predicted to Make Near-Record Move on 2-Time All-Pro