The Cowboys placed a second-round tender worth $5.76 million on Brandon Aubrey. The move keeps control of his rights right before free agency. Teams can still sign Aubrey to an offer sheet. If Dallas declines to match, they would receive a second-round pick.
Aubrey’s road to the NFL was unusual. Dallas discovered him ahead of the 2023 season. He played college soccer at Notre Dame and pursued Major League Soccer. His wife convinced him to try NFL kicking instead, after they watched an NFL game together back in 2019.
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He has been one of the league’s best kickers the last three seasons. In 2025 he went 36-for-42 on field-goal attempts across 17 regular-season games. He also made 11 of 17 attempts from 50-plus yards.
The tender guarantees a $5.76M minimum salary this year. The Cowboys can still negotiate a longer-term deal. “Brandon Aubrey is (likely) not going anywhere,” per Blogging the Boys. Reports during the combine suggested tense talks. Initial coverage said Dallas offered a $7.5M average per year deal. That report was later corrected.
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
Aubrey reportedly seeks a contract above the $6.4M average that Harrison Butker currently holds. That would set a new mark for kickers.
ESPN’s Todd Archer and others have tracked the negotiation closely. The timing is key. NFL free agency begins March 11. This tender gives Dallas a week to assess offers and match if needed.
If another team makes a run, Dallas can match or accept the draft compensation. Either way, the tender signals how much the Cowboys value Aubrey and buys them leverage as free agency opens. The tender keeps negotiation paths open and preserves draft compensation.
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