Brandon Aubrey has officially solidified his short-term future with the Dallas Cowboys after the team placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on him. Despite the one-year, $5.76 million deal serving as a temporary measure, the All-Pro kicker has made it clear to Jerry Jones that his top priority is remaining with the franchise for the long haul, effectively putting the club’s needs first.
On Wednesday, as the new league year officially began, Aubrey addressed the reality of being a restricted free agent. He noted that while a long-term extension remains the ultimate goal, he understands the Cowboys have “more important fires to put out” with unrestricted free agents first. This selfless stance has allowed Jerry Jones and the front office to prioritize other pressing roster needs.
“There’s a lot of moving parts with the Cowboys at the moment,” Aubrey said, via the team’s website. “There’s players that aren’t restricted that they’ve got to sort through first, because with that restriction, movement is significantly more difficult. So they go through and there’s more important fires to put out. And then they can circle around when things calm down and talk to me.”
The strategic use of the second-round tender makes Aubrey the third-highest-paid kicker in the NFL for the upcoming campaign. However, with the market recently exploding—highlighted by Ka’imi Fairbairn’s new $6.5 million annual average with the Texans—Aubrey remains confident in his value.
Brandon Aubrey becoming the highest-paid kicker is just a matter of time
The decision to place a second-round tender provides the Cowboys with significant leverage. Any team attempting to sign Aubrey to an offer sheet would have to surrender a 2026 second-round draft pick to Dallas if the Cowboys choose not to match the offer. Given his elite production, this move essentially guarantees he stays with the team.
Aubrey’s loyalty to the Lone Star franchise has been evident throughout what Stephen Jones described as a “journey” of negotiations. While his camp, led by agent Todd France, is seeking a record-breaking deal, Aubrey’s willingness to wait shows a deep appreciation for the club—a gesture Jerry Jones will undoubtedly take into consideration when finalizing the extension.
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“It’s not something that I have control over as the term restricted applies there,” Aubrey added. “Obviously, Dallas is my home. I’d like to keep it that way, so it would be nice to get a long-term deal going. Just need to sit down and have that conversation.”
Brandon Aubrey has arguably become the most reliable kicker in the league. Following Fairbairn’s new benchmark in Houston, the Cowboys’ star simply needs to wait patiently for his turn to officially become the highest-paid kicker in NFL history.
