Brandon Aubrey Eyeing a Historic Contract From Dallas Cowboys This Offseason
Brandon Aubrey isn’t just asking to become the NFL’s highest-paid kicker. He’s asking to shatter the market. The Dallas Cowboys might not have a choice but to pay up.
Reports surfaced Tuesday that while Dallas has offered Aubrey a deal worth roughly $7.5 million per year. That would eclipse Kansas City’s Harrison Butker as the league’s top-paid kicker at $6.4 million annually, but Aubrey’s camp is pushing for something closer to $10 million per season. That’s not just a raise. That’s rewriting the rulebook for how NFL teams value specialists.
Executive Vice President Stephen Jones admitted the two sides have been talking since before the 2025 season, but there’s been no breakthrough. “It’s been a journey,” Jones said Monday at the NFL Combine. “We hadn’t been able to get to a point where we can all agree.” When will a deal get done?
What Makes Aubrey Worth $10 Million?
Through three NFL seasons, Aubrey has made 112 of 127 field goal attempts (88.2%). From 50-plus yards? He’s connected on 35 of 44 kicks, good for nearly 80%. He also owns the NFL record with six field goals from 60 yards or more, including a jaw-dropping 65-yarder.
He’s also been named to three consecutive Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors multiple times. Aubrey entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after bouncing around professional soccer leagues and working as a software engineer. His wife convinced him he had the leg to make it in the NFL, and three years later, he’s one of the most reliable weapons in football. Now, he wants to get paid like it.
Why the Cowboys Should Pay Him
Dallas is in a tricky spot. Aubrey is a restricted free agent, which means they can slap a second-round tender on him worth about $5.8 million for 2026. But if another team swoops in with an offer Dallas doesn’t match, they’d lose him for just a second-round pick. That’s not a risk worth taking for a guy who’s basically automatic from anywhere inside 60 yards.
Sure, $10 million per year for a kicker sounds ridiculous. But Aubrey isn’t just any kicker. He’s the kind of weapon that changes how you approach fourth downs. He extends your offense’s red zone. He’s won games Dallas had no business winning. In a franchise known for big names and bigger disappointments, Aubrey has been one of the few sure things.
The Risk Of Letting This Drag Out
The longer this drags on, the uglier it could get. Public pressure is already mounting after the team leaked the contract numbers to local reporters. It’s a classic negotiating tactic: make the player look greedy, see if he caves.
But Aubrey has all the leverage here. He’s 30 years old, entering his prime as a kicker, and coming off another stellar season. If Dallas lowballs him and he walks, good luck finding someone who can replicate what he does.
The Cowboys could franchise tag him down the road, but that’s a short-term fix to a problem they could solve right now. Pay the man, lock him up long-term, and move on to the other roster headaches this team has.
What Happens Next?
Expect this to linger through March, when the league year officially begins. If the Cowboys and Aubrey can’t reach a deal, Dallas will almost certainly use that second-round tender to keep him around for at least one more year.
Aubrey deserves to reset the market. He’s earned it with his performance, his consistency, and his willingness to bet on himself when no one else would. The only question is whether Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office are willing to swallow their pride and pay a kicker like a star player.
