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Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: K Brandon Aubrey

SB Nation · Jul 21, 2026 23:30 · 4 min read

Cowboys 2026 roster rundown: K Brandon Aubrey

It is so nice that the Cowboys don’t have to worry about their kicking situation.

Just three months ago, the Cowboys made Brandon Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in NFL history. Naturally, any discussion about his place on this year’s roster is pretty anti-climactic now. But like so many meals, this series just won’t feel complete without Butter.

Background

Years in NFL: 3

Acquired by: Free agent (2023)

Until he was 24 years old, Aubrey’s athletic aspirations were focused on soccer. He played collegiately for Notre Dame and then had two years in professional leagues, but was was released by a minor league club in 2018. He moved into software engineering, but started considering American football in 2019. He began training as a placekicker, eventually joining the USFL in 2022.

In two years with the Birmingham Stallions, Aubrey was an immediate standout. He helped the Stallions win back-to-back USFL Championships, and was the USFL scoring leader in 2022. Aubrey’s spring league performances got him on the NFL’s radar, and he signed with the Cowboys shortly before the start of their 2023 training camp. Aubrey quickly beat out Tristan Vizcaino for the job, helping Dallas find stability after losing Brett Maher in free agency.

It didn’t take long for the world to realize that Aubrey was more than just another band-aid kicker. Between his comfort level with 60-yard field goals and 94.7% accuracy overall, Aubrey quickly became a star at his position. He led the NFL in scoring in 2023, and began a streak of All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections that’s still ongoing. Aubrey’s list of NFL records keeps growing, particularly for his long-distance heroics.

This offseason, Aubrey’s original deal ended and left him as a restricted free agent with only three years of NFL service. Dallas all but secured his spot on the 2026 roster with a second-round RFA tender back in March, but decided not to leave his long-term future in question for long. In late April, Aubrey and the Cowboys agreed to a five-year deal that made him the NFL’s most expensive kicker.

Contract Status

Years Left: 5

2026 Cap Hit: $3.4 million

In case you missed it, Aubrey’s distinction as the highest-paid kicker is now shared with Pittsburgh’s Chris Boswell. Just a few weeks after Aubrey got his deal, the Steelers and Boswell also came to terms on a similar deal for an equal $7 million average. Aubrey, who is about four years younger, did get more guaranteed money in his contract.

2026 Projections

Role: Kicker

Roster Chance: 100%

So yeah, not much to discuss here. There isn’t even another kicker on the roster, and if there were he’d only be a camp guy. Aubrey is the big leg on campus, and will remain such for at the least the next few years.

You may be wondering what Dallas’ options are if Aubrey, who is 31, were to have a sudden dropoff in performance. It’s a fair question at that age, or at any age should a player suffer a major injury. With the guaranteed money in Aubrey’s deal, the Cowboys would suffer a significant dead money hit now through 2027. They could make him a June-1st cut next year and carry some of the cap penalty into 2028, making it more manageable.

2028 is when it becomes much cleaner. There would only be about $5 million in dead money left on the deal, which is less than the scheduled $6.92 million cap hit. It will be interesting to see if Dallas avoids restructuring Aubrey’s deal for cap relief in the coming years, preserving their flexibility as he goes deeper into his 30s.

Of course, the hope is that we never have to worry about such things. If Aubrey keeps being a game-changing weapon with his distance, icy-veined in the clutch, and reliable overall as a kicker, few will balk at his compensation. At his age, Aubrey probably won’t have the longevity of the all-time greats. But in terms of peaks, he’s had few rivals in NFL history.

Check out our previous player profiles from this series: