Brandon Aubrey has established himself as one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL over the past few seasons, and he is now aiming to become the highest-paid player at his position. The Dallas Cowboys appear open to making that happen, but the two sides have yet to reach a long-term agreement.
Instead, Dallas placed a second-round tender worth $5.76 million on Aubrey ahead of the start of the new league year on Wednesday.
Why Brandon Aubrey and the Dallas Cowboys Failed to Reach a Long-Term Agreement
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has publicly stated that the team is willing to make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the league, a distinction currently held by Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs, who earns $6.4 million annually.
However, instead of immediately signing Aubrey to a lucrative extension, Dallas opted to place the second-round tender on him, which currently makes him the third-highest-paid kicker in the NFL.
“The $5.76 million tender currently placed on Brandon Aubrey makes him the league’s third highest-paid kicker behind the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker ($6.4M) and the Eagles’ Jake Elliott ($6M). Whenever a new deal gets done, Aubrey is expected to become the league’s highest-paid kicker,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported.
According to reports, the Cowboys have already presented Aubrey with a contract offer worth close to $7 million per year, but the 30-year-old is reportedly seeking closer to $10 million annually.
Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports confirmed the situation, writing, “The Cowboys have had a deal on the table that would make Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the league, but both sides couldn’t agree on just how much higher he should be paid.”
Although Aubrey previously said the second-round tender was not “ideal,” it gives Dallas additional time to negotiate a long-term extension while retaining the right to match any offer sheet he might receive in free agency.
Reactions from Around the NFL
Reacting to the development, Cowboys reporter RJ Ochoa wrote, “This is the way.”
NFL analyst Tom Downey added, “As expected here Can still work out a longer term deal that would maybe lower his Year 1 cap hit, but not by much.”
However, if another team signs Aubrey to an offer sheet that Dallas chooses not to match, that team would only have to surrender a second-round pick as compensation. Some around the league believe that price would be reasonable for one of the NFL’s best kickers.
“Roberto Aguayo was a 2nd round pick and went on to be one of the biggest kicker busts in NFL draft history. Spending a 2nd rounder on not only a proven commodity, but the best kicker in football, seems like a no-brainer for some team to pull the trigger,” wrote sports content creator Brandon Carney.
“Should the Giants sign Brandon Aubrey & give up a 2nd round pick? Justin Tucker made 18 game winning field goals for the Ravens with John Harbaugh,” added New York sports analyst Marshall Green.
“Any suggestion that the 49ers might consider franchise-tagging Pineiro (at $6.6M) was … not rational in the kicking market,” wrote Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard.
Aubrey led the NFL with 36 made field goals during his rookie season and later drilled the longest field goal of the 2024 season, a 65-yarder. After earning his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection last season, the Cowboys’ star kicker is now looking to set a new financial benchmark for the position.
