Brandon Aubrey should be NFL's highest-paid kicker

The Dallas Cowboys have been on a spending spree ever since trading Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in late August. Cornerback DaRon Bland was the first beneficiary of the All-Pro edge rusher's departure. He signed a four-year, $90 million contract extension -- worth up to $92 million through salary escalators -- averaging $22.5 million per year three days after Parsons was traded.

Hunter Luepke was next. He became the NFL's third-highest-paid fullback at $3.5 million per year on a two-year, $7 million extension worth a maximum of $7.5 million a couple of days before Dallas' regular-season opener.

Tyler Smith reset the offensive guard market ahead of Week 2's game against the New York Giants. He received a four-year, $96 million extension, averaging $24 million per year, with an offensive guard-record $81.2 million in guarantees.

As a 2023 undrafted free agent, kicker Brandon Aubrey has been eligible for a contract extension since the end of the 2024 regular season, just like Luepke. Aubrey, who is making $1.03 million in the final year of the three-year, $2.695 million contract he signed in 2023, expressed interest in a new deal during the early part of the offseason. "I'm eligible for an extension so it's up to my agent to go up to the Cowboys and see if there's any interest in signing it there early," Aubrey said in February.

Aubrey's performance against the Giants has seemingly put him on the Cowboys' contract radar screen. He nailed a 64-yard field goal with no time left in regulation to force overtime. Aubrey sealed Dallas' 40-37 victory with a 46-yard field goal in overtime as time was expiring.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about Aubrey's contract situation during his weekly radio appearance on Dallas' 105.3 The Fan. "Well, he (Aubrey) certainly is coming," Jones said on Tuesday. "We'll be looking at that, probably have had communications since the kick. He's certainly in the future."

Aubrey is arguably the NFL's best kicker. Nobody has made more field goals of 50 yards or more since he entered the NFL in 2023. Aubrey is 27 of 30 (90%) on such kicks, including four of six from 60 yards or more. Excluding Aubrey, the conversion rate is 69.2% (357 of 516 attempts) for field goals of 50 yards or more during this span. Other kickers have made 7 of 20 attempts (35%) on field goals of at least 60 yards beginning with the 2023 season.

Aubrey was named a first-team All-Pro as a rookie and was a second team All-Pro in 2024 because of his efforts. The 65-yarder Aubrey made against the Baltimore Ravens last season is the second-longest field goal in NFL history.

Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the Giants' victory that Aubrey's range is approximately 70 yards. In fact, Aubrey attempted a 70-yard field goal at the end of the first half against the Carolina Panthers last season. Basically, anytime the Cowboys cross midfield, Aubrey is a threat to put points on the board.