INDIANAPOLIS – As the NFL Combine continues, one of the main talking points of the week has been the Cowboys negotiations with kicker Brandon Aubrey, who is a restricted free agent this offseason.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones said the team had been in negotiations with Aubrey for a while, but have yet to meet at the proper terms.
"We've been in talks with Aubrey even before the season started," Jones told reporters. "It's been a journey, but we haven't been able to get to a point where we can all agree. Haven't gotten done, but we'd love to get him done."
At the Pro Bowl in San Francisco last month, Aubrey said that his focus during the season was on the games, and that contract negotiations were "not something I want to get super involved in," leaving it up to his representation. Still, he made clear he "absolutely" wants to remain in Dallas.
Aside from a contract extension, another option that the Cowboys have is placing the second-round tender, which is worth around $5.8 million on Aubrey. That means if a team was to make an offer to Aubrey, the Cowboys could either choose to match it and keep Aubrey or receive a second-round draft pick from the team that offered Aubrey the deal.
Currently, the highest paid kicker in the NFL is Kansas City's Harrison Butker at $6.4 million per year. The Cowboys are more than likely willing to top that number and make Aubrey the highest paid kicker in the league, with the only question being by how much.
While there is no quotes from Aubrey or his representation on specifics in the negotiations, multiple reports say his camp is seeking a deal in the $10 million per year neighborhood. It's important to remember that the number could just be a starting point and is typically how negotiations work as agents seek the best deals for their clients, and the number could very well be different.
Through three Pro-Bowl seasons with the Cowboys, Aubrey has made 112 of his 127 career field goal attempts, missing just four extra points on 130 attempts. On kicks from 50 yards or longer, he's 36 of 42 in his career.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer hasn't been shy about how much of a difference maker Aubrey can be for Dallas.
"Yeah, he's incredible. I don't know, I'm sure he set another record tonight. He's just an incredible kicker…" Schottenheimer said of Aubrey in December. "Brandon is just, he's just incredible. I mean, you jog him out there and like, it's just, you know, he's going to put it right down the middle."
