The Dallas Cowboys and kicker Brandon Aubrey are attempting to negotiate a contract extension that would make the soon-to-be 31-year-old All-Pro the NFL’s highest-paid kicker.
The two parties have yet to find a middle ground as he prepares to become a restricted free agent during the 2026 offseason.
Dallas has already offered a deal that would exceed Harrison Butker’s $6.4 million average annual value (AAV) and make Aubrey the NFL’s highest-paid kicker, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. However, Aubrey is reportedly seeking a deal closer to $10 million in AAV.
That price difference has stalled negotiations, which began ahead of the 2025 season, as Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones revealed.
‘It’s been a journey, but we hadn’t been able to get to a point where we can all agree, so it hadn’t gotten done,’ Jones explained on Feb. 23 at the 2026 NFL Combine. ‘But we’d love to get him done.’
How could the gap between the two parties be bridged? Here’s what to know about Aubrey’s career to date, the NFL’s kicker market and what a contract between he and the Cowboys could look like.
Brandon Aubrey stats
Aubrey has been in the NFL for three seasons but has already established himself as one of the league’s greatest long-distance kickers.
Aubrey has made an NFL record six field goals from beyond 60 yards during his career to date. His 65-yard make in a 2024 game between the Cowboys and Baltimore Ravens is tied as the fourth-longest in NFL history.
Beyond that, Aubrey has made a whopping 35 of 44 kicks (79.5%) from 50-plus yards and at least 10 kicks from that distance across his first three seasons. His overall field goal percentage (88.2%) ranks fifth-best across NFL history to date behind only Cameron Dicker, Eddy Pineiro, Justin Tucker and the aforementioned Butker.
Below is a look at Aubrey’s career stats across his first three seasons in Dallas:
- FG makes: 112
- FG attempts: 127
- FG %: 88.2
- Long: 65
- Extra point makes: 126
- Extra point attempts: 130
- Extra point %: 96.9
Aubrey’s combination of power and consistent accuracy has helped him to make the NFL’s All-Pro teams in each of his first three seasons. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2023 before qualifying for the All-Pro second team in each of the following two seasons.
Highest-paid NFL kickers
Aubrey’s performance to date – particularly from long distance – should put him in line for a market-setting deal. But what does the market look like?
Just one kicker across NFL history to date, Harrison Butker, has signed a deal worth more than $25 million in total value. His $6.4 million in AAV is also the most-ever given to a kicker.
Below is a look at the NFL’s highest-paid kickers in terms of AAV and total contract value, per OverTheCap.com:
AAV
- 1. Harrison Butker, Chiefs: $6.4 million
- 2. Jake Elliott, Eagles: $6 million
- 3. Cameron Dicker, Chargers: $5.501 million
- T-4. Evan McPherson, Bengals: $5.5 million
- T-4. Graham Gano, Giants: $5.5 million
- 6. Wil Lutz, Broncos: $5.37 million
- 7. Ka’imi Fairbairn, Texans: $5.3 million
- 8. Jason Myers, Seahawks: $5.28 million
- T-9. Tyler Bass, Bills: $5.1 million
- T-9. Brandon McManus, Packers: $5.1 million
Total contract value
- 1. Harrison Butker, Chiefs: $25.6 million
- 2. Jake Elliott, Eagles: $24 million
- 3. Cameron Dicker, Chargers: $22.004 million
- 4. Jason Sanders, Dolphins: $22 million
- 5. Jason Myers, Seahawks: $21.1 million
- 6. Tyler Bass, Bills: $20.4 million
- 7. Chris Boswell, Steelers: $20 million
- 8. Daniel Carlson, Raiders: $18.4 million
- T-9. Evan McPherson, Bengals: $16.5 million
- T-9. Graham Gano, Giants: $16.5 million
Brandon Aubrey contract projection
- Term: 4 years
- Total value: $34 million
- Average annual value (AAV): $8.5 million
- Guaranteed money: $20 million
There’s little reason to argue against Aubrey becoming the NFL’s highest-paid kicker. This deal would make that happen while also acknowledging some of the leverage Dallas has in negotiations.
The Cowboys retain control over Aubrey because of his restricted free agent status. If the two parties can’t reach a deal before free agency, Dallas would likely tender him at a second-round level, which comes with just over a $5.8 million value for the 2026 season, per OverTheCap.com.
Aubrey would still be free to negotiate with other teams if tendered. However, any club signing him to a deal Dallas chooses not to match would have to surrender a second-round pick for his services.
As good as Aubrey has been, that seems highly unlikely. No kicker has been selected as high as the second round since Roberto Aguayo in 2016.
That – plus the potential for Dallas to use the franchise tag on Aubrey in 2027 – could suppress the overall value the star kicker is able to command in negotiations with the team.
Still, Dallas should be interested in locking Aubrey into a long-term, market-setting deal. It would offer them potential protection in a kicker market that could soon explode, as long-distance field goals become a greater part of the NFL game.
The fact that Cam Little – who made the two longest field goals in NFL history during the 2025 season – becomes extension-eligible following the 2026 season could give the Cowboys a little extra urgency to get a deal done with Aubrey.
So, this represents a happy medium for both sides. Aubrey gets the market-setting contract he desires – albeit at a slight discount from the $10 million AAV he is reportedly seeking – while Dallas sacrifices short-term leverage for long-term security to retain one of its stars.
