Whether you’re a quarterback, wide receiver, pass rusher, or even kicker, you can expect your negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys to be a little more dramatic than expected.

Ahead of this year’s free agency frenzy, the Cowboys are using a second-round tender worth $5.8 million on All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

And while this means the Cowboys are keeping Aubrey from hitting unrestricted free agency next week, it will allow teams to negotiate with him while raising serious questions about his future beyond 2026. Let’s break it down.

The Cowboys are making the right call

I’m the first to criticize the Cowboys for many of their team-building ways but I have to say, I respect what they’re doing with Aubrey.

According to previous reports, Aubrey’s camp was seeking nearly $10 million per year in negotiations for a long-term extension. Currently, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker is the highest-paid player at the position at $6.4 million per year.

Simply put, Aubrey was asking for a massive jump, and I find it understandable the Cowboys didn’t want to go double digits per year when they had the possibility to tender him for under $6 million per year.

In other words, while the Cowboys often like drama and staying in the headlines, this is a negotiation in which they clearly had leverage. And they’re only right to use it if Aubrey’s demands are unexpectedly high.

Aubrey can negotiate with other teams, but…

The second-round tender placed on Aubrey still allows the kicker to negotiate with other teams starting next week. However, I wouldn’t bet on that translating to any offers. Here’s why.

If another NFL team makes an offer to Aubrey, the tender gives the Cowboys right of first refusal, meaning they can simply choose to match the offer. However, if they were to decline the possibility of matching, the acquiring team would be required to give up a second-round pick and send it to the Cowboys.

And while Aubrey is a fantastic football player, no NFL team is giving up a second-rounder for a kicker while also making him the highest-paid kicker in the game.

Drama ahead?

While the Cowboys were able to “tender” Aubrey this year, they won’t be able to in 2027. He will be an unrestricted free agent then and though Dallas could use the franchise tag, getting away with a less expensive tender won’t be an option.

Considering how far apart Aubrey and the Cowboys seemed to be, and how ugly this year’s negotiations got, to the point of Aubrey calling out a report “fake” on social media, we can expect a contentious negotiation moving forward.

The Cowboys and Aubrey began negotiations prior to the start of the 2025 season.

Aubrey’s historic start to continue in Dallas

For at least one more season, the Cowboys secure one of the best kickers in the game. Aubrey’s career start has been nothing short of historic:

• He’s the first kicker ever to reach three consecutive Pro Bowls to start his career.
• His 112 made field goals are the most in a player’s first three seasons in NFL history.
• Aubrey became the first kicker in NFL history to make three field goals from 60-plus yards in a season. His six career 60-yard field goals are also the most in NFL history.

The Cowboys also tendered interior offensive lineman T.J. Bass, as previously reported.

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