Brandon Aubrey is staying in Dallas. The star kicker received no outside offers before the restricted free agent deadline. This ensures the Cowboys retain rights to the three-time Pro Bowler for the 2026 season.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deadline for restricted free agents to sign any offers has come to an end, and placekicker Brandon Aubrey did not receive any during that stretch. This suggests that the Cowboys may retain all their rights to Aubrey.

Brandon Aubrey first joined the Cowboys by signing a three-year contract and has since posted a field goal percentage of 88.2% as their placekicker, with a longest field goal of 65 yards. He has also been named to the Pro Bowl in all three seasons he has played in the NFL.

In 2026, Brandon Aubrey had a second-round RFA tender placed on him at the beginning of the offseason, which would earn him about $5.5 million annually.

This allowed him to receive offers from other teams, while the Dallas Cowboys could either match those offers or receive a second-round draft pick as compensation. However, he did not receive any offers during that period, despite being one of the top special teams players.

Initially, Aubrey had the bag on the table, and still wanted more. The Dallas Cowboys lined up a deal that would have made him the league’s highest-paid kicker, north of $7 million annually, but Aubrey turned it down, pushing for a number closer to $10 million.

His talents aren't limited to just being a placekicker. Before even joining the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, he showed his abilities across multiple careers.

He was selected by the soccer team, Toronto FC, in the first round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, and briefly played with Bethlehem Steel FC as well before being released by the team. 

But that didn’t demotivate him. After training with kicking coach Brian Egan to pursue a career as a placekicker, he was drafted by the Birmingham Stallions. And after spending two years with the team, he finally made his way into the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

However, the 2023 First-Team All-Pro selection athlete did not receive any offers, leaving him with three options.

Three Possible Paths for Brandon Aubrey Moving Forward

Josh Sanchez of Sports Illustrated suggested three paths Aubrey could go from here, with option one being obvious: to sign the second-round tender served by the Dallas Cowboys.

Aubrey could also continue negotiating a long-term deal with the franchise.

Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs was the highest-paid kicker until the Houston Texans' Ka'imi Fairbairn surpassed him last month.

Now, this situation gives Aubrey a chance to ask for that deal again. If not that, there is a third option for him, where he could always request a trade from the Cowboys.

You can read more at the Dallas Cowboys Community!

Written by

Monika Khatai

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote