Brandon Aubrey contract talks hit a pivotal moment as Cowboys move toward second-round tender
brandon aubrey is still unsigned as the Dallas Cowboys’ contract negotiations with their kicker remain unresolved, with the restricted free agency window tightening in Eastern Time. The standoff is now centered on the Cowboys’ plan to use a second-round tender while both sides continue talking. From The Colony, Aubrey framed the moment plainly: it’s a chance to reset his market value, even if the current mechanism is “not ideal. ”
Where the Cowboys and brandon aubrey negotiations stand right now
The Cowboys have not reached a contract extension with brandon aubrey despite talks that, Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones said, began before the start of last season. Jones said from the NFL scouting combine last week that the sides have been unable to reach an agreement, while emphasizing the team still wants to complete a deal.
There was previously described as a significant gap between the sides. At one point, the Cowboys had an offer that would have made Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the NFL, with the proposed value described as above the $6. 4 million figure tied to Kansas City kicker Harrison Butker, but under a $7 million threshold. Aubrey’s agent, Todd France, sought $10 million, as described in negotiations details shared by individuals familiar with the talks.
Those discussions resumed at the scouting combine, and the tone has been described as positive, but not enough to complete an agreement.
Second-round tender on the table as free agency pressure mounts
The Cowboys plan to place a second-round tender on Aubrey, valued at $5. 81 million, a figure tied to Spotrac. Under the tender framework described in the negotiations coverage, Dallas would have the chance to match any offer Aubrey signs in free agency. If the Cowboys chose not to match, they would be entitled to a second-round draft pick as compensation.
Speaking Wednesday at the unveiling of the TOCA Social soccer home in The Colony, Aubrey said the tender is “a good problem to have, ” calling it a “good amount of money” and “a big pay raise, ” while adding it is “not the ideal for any player. ” Aubrey also described the situation as an opportunity: “It’s an opportunity for me… so I’m thankful for that. ”
The time pressure is explicit: Aubrey is a restricted free agent and, as described in the negotiations coverage, there was less than a week remaining until the free agency negotiation period ends.
Immediate reactions from Stephen Jones and Aubrey
Jones, speaking from the NFL scouting combine last week, underscored both the difficulty and the intent on Dallas’ side. “It’s been a journey, ” Jones said, adding that the sides have not reached a point “where we can all agree, ” but that the Cowboys “would love to get him done. ”
Aubrey, appearing at the TOCA Social opening at Grandscape in The Colony, also described the waiting that comes with this stage of the process. “I don’t really have much going on at the moment. Just sitting around waiting, ” Aubrey said.
Aubrey made clear that restricted free agency forces players to consider the open market. “When you hit that restricted free agency, if you’re not testing the market then you’re not doing what’s right for you and your family, ” Aubrey said. He added that his mind “has to” go to the possibility of leaving the Cowboys as he prepares for his first free agency.
Aubrey also said he relies on his agent, Todd France, to handle negotiations, saying France has set expectations for how the process would go and has been “spot on. ”
Quick context: why this moment matters
Aubrey has been an All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in each of his first three NFL seasons, and he said he believes he’s the best kicker in the world. With Dallas moving toward a second-round tender, the team maintains strong control over the immediate next step while talks continue.
What’s next as the market opens
The next developments hinge on whether negotiations produce an extension before the restricted free agency market opens, and whether the Cowboys formally apply the second-round tender. For brandon aubrey, the immediate focus is on how the tender framework intersects with his intent to test the market if necessary—an inflection point that will define whether he stays in Dallas under a new deal, plays on the tender, or forces a match decision from the Cowboys in the days ahead in ET.
