As NFL kicker money goes up, Brandon Aubrey becomes an even bigger bargain
Coming off a sensational debut season with the Cowboys, Brandon Aubrey returns as one of the best bargains on the team. But as the price for elite NFL kickers is going up, how long can Dallas keep Aubrey at such a big discount?
After leaving a soccer career for American football, Aubrey spent two years in the USFL before signing a three-year deal with the Cowboys a year ago. He was better than anyone could’ve dreamed, making 36 of 38 field goals and 49 of 52 extra points. Leading the NFL in scoring in 2023, Aubrey was rightfully named a First-Team All-Pro and made the Pro Bowl.
With the humblest of beginnings to his pro career, Aubrey is currently one of the lowest-paid kickers in the NFL at just $898k per season. He has two years left on that contract and, barring an extension, will become a restricted free agent in 2026.
This week, the kicker market went up as the Chiefs’ Harrison Butker just signed a new four-year, $25.6 million extension. He’s now the third NFL kicker to be making $6 million per year or more, and the next 14 make $4-$5 million annually. Clearly, for where he stands among his peers in terms of performance, Aubrey’s current compensation is wildly disproportionate.
Of course, Aubrey needs to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke before he can start making any demands. But if he’s equally excellent in 2024, at what point might he start asking for more money? Turning 30 next March, Aubrey can’t wait too long to cash in before facing an increased risk of injury or decline due to age.
Thankfully, this is a situation that the Cowboys can easily manage. Even upper-echelon kickers aren’t bank-breakers compared to most NFL players, taking up just 2-3% of the total salary cap. While Dallas has rightly developed a penny-pinching reputation and has bigger fish to fry throughout its roster, they should be able to retain Aubrey at fair market value whenever the issue comes up.
Hopefully, Brandon Aubrey will remain among the elite and create a good problem to have. We went through the pangs of not having a reliable kicker and now have one of the best in the business. If the Cowboys have to pay up soon to keep him, their experiences from 2018-2022 should motivate them to do so.