How the Dallas Cowboys Will Handle the Brandon Aubrey Free Agency Situation

The Dallas Cowboys placed a second-round restricted free agent tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey. The one-year deal is valued at $5.76 million for the 2026 season.

Aubrey, who transitioned from professional soccer and the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions before Dallas signed him in 2023, has earned Pro Bowl honors in all three of his NFL seasons.

Under the tender, another team can submit an offer sheet to Aubrey. Dallas retains the right to match it. If the Cowboys decline, they receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.

Contract extension talks have dragged on for months. ESPN’s Adam Schefte confirmed the tender placement on Saturday via X, noting the Cowboys’ right to match or collect compensation.

Cowboys placed the second-round, $5.76 million tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey, per source. Aubrey now can sign an offer sheet with another team that the Cowboys would have the right to match. If they don’t, they would get back a second-round pick. pic.twitter.com/31Z3k7vmlw

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026

Dallas Cowboys and Aubrey Are Still Far Apart on a Long-Term Deal

The Cowboys reportedly put their best offer at just under $7 million per season on the table. That figure would top Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker’s $6.4 million annual rate, making Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the league.

Aubrey’s camp is reportedly seeking $10 million annually. Reports have it that the Cowboys are “comfortable” with the tender if no extension gets done.

Aubrey addressed the standoff in a conversation with Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News:

“Obviously the tender is what the Cowboys have talked about, and it’s a good problem to have. It’s a good amount of money and it’s a big pay raise for me from before, but it’s not the ideal for any player.”

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones also commented, telling the team’s official website per Tommy Yarrish:

“Love his story, love the fact that the story is with the Cowboys…we’ve got a good offer on the table for him.”

Green Bay’s Interest Could Force the Cowboys’ Hand This Offseason

Reports has it that the Green Bay Packers have been in contact with Aubrey’s representatives since the NFL Scouting Combine.

Any team submitting an offer sheet would need to surrender a second-round pick. That is a steep price for a kicker, even one with Aubrey’s production and track record.

Aubrey made his own intentions known to Joseph Hoyt at The Dallas Morning News:

“When you hit restricted free agency, if you’re not testing the market, then you’re not doing what’s right for you and your family. So you have to do that if that’s what it comes to.”

NBC Sports’ Matthew Berry, citing a Cowboys team source, suggested the extension will be finalized before the 2026 season begins. The tender, Berry indicated, reflects posturing by both sides.

Dallas holds all the leverage here. The Cowboys either keep their record-setting kicker on a long-term deal or collect a second-round pick and address other needs.

What happens next will say a lot about how much Jerry Jones values a weapon that routinely makes opponents pay from 60 yards out.