Aubrey's record-breaking kicker contract looms. Will Jerry Jones meet unprecedented demands, or will Dallas lose its irreplaceable star?
The day is drawing closer.
Dallas Cowboys beloved kicker Brandon Aubrey is nearing the end of his contract, and with this fact comes one of the most fascinating decisions the franchise has faced in years.
Aubrey has skyrocketed into superstardom, establishing himself as one of the best kickers to ever play the game. He’s drilled kicks from outrageous distances with remarkable consistency, redefined what’s possible for NFL kickers, and reshaped the way the Cowboys approach their game plans. (He also kicked the game-winner against the bitter rivals from Philadelphia in a historic 24-21 win over the Eagles on Sunday,
So now the question becomes: How valuable do Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office believe he is? And are they willing to pay a price no kicker has ever seen before?
The price tag? That depends on the market. But our Mike Fisher suggests that Aubrey is on track to command at least $6 million per year.
So a four-year deal totaling $24 million? Some suggest the number could climb as high as $32 million.
Is a kicker truly worth that much? When you look at the league’s highest-paid kicker - Kansas City’s Harrison Butker, who tops the list at $25.6 million ($6.4 million per year) - you can envision what Aubrey's agent Todd France is surely thinking.
But will Jerry Jones see it that way? Will the owner talk his way into conflict? Will France - who has won lopsided negotiations twice for client Dak Prescott - be cooperative?
Last offseason, Jones pushed back on what superstar Micah Parsons was asking for. ... and Parsons was dealt away.
The good news?
A few weeks ago, in an interview, Jones was asked about contracts and future for his beloved kicker to which he responded:
“He’s certainly in the future.”
Cowboys fans are understandably skeptical; Jones has said plenty of things over the years that didn’t end up meaning much. But even the most doubtful fans would agree it seems nearly impossible that he’d let go of a talent the league has truly never seen before.
Aubrey is a freak of nature. To put things into perspective: his miss from 51 yards against the Eagles last week was just his second failure of the entire year. For most kickers, missing from that distance is understandable. For Aubrey, the entire league was shocked. That’s how consistently elite he has been from deep.
His impact has been massive. Dallas essentially has guaranteed points anywhere within 60 yards - something unheard of in the NFL. The league is practically counting the days until he breaks the record for the longest kick in history.
Think about that.
Being almost-guaranteed points from the opponent’s 47-yard line - and even being in realistic range on your own side of the field - is absolutely insane. Aubrey is an unbelievable 30-for-35 from beyond 50 yards. In his professional career, he has attempted 224 scoring kicks and has made 209 of them. That’s only 15 total misses at the pro level.
Jones surely knows exactly what Aubrey brings to the table, and he also knows no one else in the league can replicate it. Unlike massive contracts for stars like Dak Prescott or CeeDee Lamb or Parsons, which reshape a team’s entire salary-cap future. Aubrey’s deal won’t come close to those numbers.
Yes, his contract will be expensive for a kicker, but it won’t handicap the franchise in any way.
That alone makes re-signing Aubrey not only reasonable, but smart.
There is, it seems to us, virtually a 100-percent chance Aubrey sticks around and gets a well-earned payday in Dallas next year. Why wouldn’t he? He’s an "America’s Team'' golden boy, with his hometown in McKinney right down the street from team HQ at The Star in Frisco. He's a fan favorite. Oh, and the most reliable long-range weapon the Cowboys have ever had.
Don’t be surprised when the annual Jerry Jones negotiation antics begin. At this point, it’s basically a Cowboys holiday tradition. But almost inevitably, the day that is drawing closer is a "Cowboy for Life'' deal for the smooth talent Dak accurately nicknamed "Butter.''