...
By Megan Armstrong
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Dallas Cowboys made a push to trade for Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby, but the Baltimore Ravens' offer was more appealing to the Raiders, so Crosby will officially become a Raven when the NFL's new league year begins on March 11 at 4 p.m. EST.
As much as it surely stung, there's still plenty the Cowboys can do to bolster the roster in free agency. For example, Dallas has been heavily linked to impending unrestricted free-agent defensive end Trey Hendrickson. But part of ensuring the Cowboys are better in 2026 will be keeping an existing star on the roster.
Dallas took a major step toward that on Saturday morning, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Read More on NFL
"Cowboys placed the second-round, $5.76 million tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey, per source," Schefter posted on X (formerly Twitter). "Aubrey now can sign an offer sheet with another team that the Cowboys would have the right to match. If they don’t, they would get back a second-round pick."
...
Aubrey's contract negotiation had been trending in this direction for at least a week. The 30-year-old kicker addressed the situation last Wednesday.
"Obviously, the tender is what the Cowboys have talked about, and it’s a good problem to have,” Aubrey said, according to The Dallas Morning News' Joseph Hoyt. “It’s a good amount of money, and it’s a big pay raise from before, but it’s not ideal for any player. We’ll see what happens. I’m excited to be in this position. It’s an opportunity for me."
However, Aubrey isn't likely to settle for the second-round tender without testing the restricted free-agent market. He added, "When you hit that restricted free agency, if you’re not testing the market, then you’re not doing what’s right for you and your family. So, you have to do that, if that’s what it comes to."
It might sound odd to tab a placekicker as one of the Cowboys' biggest keys to winning, but Aubrey's leg has been a weapon for Dallas since he signed from the USFL in July 2023.
The former Major League Soccer player has been named an All-Pro (First Team once, Second Team twice) and Pro Bowler in each of his three NFL seasons. In 2024, he had the longest field goal in the NFL at 65 yards, and he maintained that range last season. His longest made field goal was from 64 yards, and he had the second-most made field goals from 50-plus yards in 2025.
Now, the Cowboys could have a long summer of negotiating ahead of them. Aubrey aside, Dallas also placed the franchise tag on star wide receiver George Pickens.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines