The Dallas Cowboys have officially secured their kicking future, as the deadline for other teams to negotiate with Brandon Aubrey has now passed. This means the Cowboys retain exclusive rights to their star kicker through the 2026 season.

This news brings closure to a storyline that began earlier this offseason. Following Aubrey's remarkable performance, which included a historic perfect rookie season, the Cowboys placed a second-round tender on him. This tender, valued at $5.8 million for 2026, positioned Aubrey as the NFL's third-highest-paid kicker by average annual value.

The tender created a specific window for other teams to make a play for the Pro Bowler. Any club could have attempted to sign Aubrey to an offer sheet, but the Cowboys held the powerful right of first refusal. More significantly, if Dallas had chosen not to match an offer, the signing team would have owed the Cowboys a valuable second-round draft pick—a steep price for any kicker.

As many analysts predicted, no team was willing to pay that dual cost of a premium contract and a high draft pick. With the deadline now in the rearview mirror, the path is clear for Dallas and Aubrey to focus on negotiating a potential long-term extension on their own terms, ensuring stability for a key special teams weapon.