Sources: Aubrey pushes for bigger Cowboys offer

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Dallas Cowboys and the agent for Pro Bowler Brandon Aubrey are in agreement that he should be the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. The disagreement is by how much.

The Cowboys have offered a deal for Aubrey that is more than the league-high $6.4 million average per season for Kansas City's Harrison Butker, sources told ESPN. However, Aubrey's agent, Todd France, has asked for a deal closer to $10 million per season, according to sources.

The negotiations started last season but have not progressed.

"It's been a journey," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday without getting into the specifics of the talks, "but we hadn't been able to get to a point where we can all agree, so it hadn't gotten done. But we'd love to get him done."

Aubrey is set to become a restricted free agent. The Cowboys are likely to place the second-round tender on Aubrey at a cost of close to $5.8 million. He entered the league as an undrafted free agent, so if the Cowboys put the right-of-first-refusal tender on Aubrey, they would not receive any compensation in return if they did not match an offer made by another team.

The only restricted free agent to leave a team for a second-round pick was Wes Welker, who was ultimately traded to the New England Patriots from the Miami Dolphins for second- and seventh-round picks in 2007.

While using the restricted free agent tender would have Aubrey under contract only for 2026, the Cowboys could use the franchise tag on him in 2027 to effectively keep him out of free agency.

Aubrey, who turns 31 next month, has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. He has made six field goals from 60 yards or longer, the most in NFL history. Last season, he connected on 11-of-17 field goal attempts from 50 yards or more.

For his career, Aubrey has made 112 of 127 attempts with a career-long 65-yarder. In 2025, he connected on 36 of 42 tries, and the six misses were from 51 yards or longer.