The Dallas Cowboys are prepared to make Brandon Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the history of the NFL, a move that reflects just how dominant and valuable he has become to their championship ambitions. Yet despite the team’s willingness to set a new financial benchmark, Aubrey’s contract expectations remain significantly higher.

According to reporting from the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have extended a long-term offer that comes with an average annual salary close to $7.5 million, a number that would comfortably surpass every kicker in the league and elevate Aubrey to unprecedented financial territory for his position.

However, Aubrey and his representation—led by agent Todd France, who also represents Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott—are seeking a deal approaching $10 million per season, a dramatic leap from even the most aggressive specialist contracts currently seen across the league.

The current standard belongs to Harrison Butker, whose deal with the Kansas City Chiefs pays him an annual average of $6.4 million. This means Aubrey is asking for nearly 56% more than the highest-paid kicker in the sport.

The Cowboys began negotiations with France before the start of the 2025 season, acknowledging early that Aubrey was on track to command a massive extension. But as contract talks have evolved, the two sides now find themselves locked in a firm stalemate with no immediate resolution in sight.

Executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed the long-running discussions on Monday, stating: “We’ve been in talks with Aubrey even before the season started. It’s been a journey but we hadn’t been able to get to a point where we can all agree.”

Jones emphasized that the Cowboys still want a deal done, but the financial separation between the two sides remains too large, creating one of the most challenging contract standoffs the Cowboys have faced with a specialist in decades.

Now that the contract details have leaked publicly, Aubrey faces an entirely new layer of pressure—both from fans expecting him to compromise and from league observers debating the value of top-tier kicking in a modern NFL landscape where margins often hinge on special teams execution.

Even if the contract stalemate continues, Dallas is not at risk of losing Aubrey for 2026. As a restricted free agent, he can be retained through a second-round tender, expected to cost approximately $5.8 million, according to Todd Archer.

Applying the second-round tender would all but guarantee Aubrey stays in Dallas, as no team would realistically sacrifice a second-round pick for a kicker—even one as historically productive as Aubrey—providing the Cowboys with strong leverage despite the contract impasse.

Dallas could also choose the right-of-first-refusal tender, which would allow them to match any contract offer Aubrey signs with a different team, though that approach carries greater risk and would not provide the same draft-pick protection.

What’s not in dispute is Aubrey’s value. At 30 years old, he has already earned three Pro Bowl selections in three seasons, a rare and extraordinary accomplishment for a kicker who entered the league as one of the most unconventional breakout stories in recent NFL history.

Aubrey owns an NFL-record six field goals from 60 yards or longer, showcasing not only his accuracy but also a level of leg strength that places him alongside the most dangerous deep-range specialists the league has ever seen.

His career-long field goal sits at 65 yards, a mark that stands among the longest kicks in NFL history and serves as a reminder of how dramatically he can influence game flow, field position strategy and late-game decision-making.

Across three seasons, Aubrey has made 112 of 127 field goals and 126 of 130 extra-point attempts, translating to a near-perfect level of reliability that few kickers have matched through their first 50 games in the league.

His 96.9% career field-goal conversion rate over that span places him at a level that statistically surpasses every other kicker in NFL history over a similar sample, underscoring why he believes he deserves a contract that reflects unprecedented production.

For the Cowboys, the dilemma is not about whether Aubrey is elite—it’s about how much a franchise should realistically invest in a specialist position that traditionally commands conservative spending, even for top performers.

Dallas has legitimate long-term cap concerns surrounding core players, including potential future deals for Prescott, Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb and other cornerstone talents occupying premium positional categories where financial commitment is largely unavoidable.

Investing $10 million annually in a kicker—more than several teams pay starting linebackers, running backs, or even some linemen—raises philosophical questions about roster-building priorities, even if Aubrey himself is arguably worth every dollar on merit alone.

This is why the Cowboys’ front office appears comfortable offering $7.5 million but unwilling to cross the $10 million threshold: it would fundamentally reshape the market for kicker salaries and potentially impact future negotiations with other players.

For Aubrey’s camp, the logic is clear: if he is significantly better than every kicker in the NFL, his contract should reflect that separation—not merely exceed the top deal by a modest margin but redefine the pay scale entirely.

Despite the tension, the Cowboys know they hold strong leverage due to Aubrey’s restricted status, meaning a resolution is unlikely to come quickly unless one side decides to shift its position in the coming weeks.

In all likelihood, Aubrey will remain in Dallas for the 2026 season whether he signs a long-term contract or plays under a tender, ensuring that the Cowboys continue benefiting from one of the most dominant legs in football while negotiations extend into the future.

Whether either side ultimately bends remains the central question. If Aubrey sticks to his $10 million figure, the Cowboys may choose to wait and reassess the situation next offseason. If Aubrey prioritizes security over market transformation, a compromise could be reached.

Either way, the Cowboys understand that having a once-in-a-generation kicker is a competitive advantage—one they cannot afford to lose as they continue their pursuit of a championship window that remains wide open.

And Aubrey knows that his next contract, whether in Dallas or beyond, will likely define the financial ceiling for NFL kickers for the next decade, making this negotiation one of the most consequential special-teams discussions in recent league history.