How Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey Went From Software Engineer To Debugging The Nfl Kicker Market

It wasn’t that long ago when Brandon Aubrey’s professional soccer career ended, forcing him to find a job in the real world as a software engineer. Fortunately, he got a second chance to use his legs. After just three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, Aubrey has engineered one of the most incredible career turnarounds and now stands to receive a huge payday.

Aubrey enters the offseason as a restricted free agent. While the team still has some degree of player control, the soon-to-be 31-year-old kicker holds significant leverage in contract negotiations, with the potential to reset the market for his position after three consecutive Pro Bowl selections.

His transition from writing code to crushing kicks has been nothing short of historic. Since entering the league in 2023, he has consistently outperformed his peers across nearly every metric. He has a résumé of statistical dominance:

• He holds the NFL record for the most 50-plus-yard field goals in a single season, connecting on 14 such kicks in 2024.
• He is the first kicker in league history to record at least 10 field goals of 50 or more yards in back-to-back seasons.
• He owns the longest field goal in Cowboys history, a 65-yarder.
• He has connected on an NFL-record five career field goals of 60 yards or more.
• In 2024 alone, his made field goal distance spanned 1,769 total yards. That is literally over a mile of distance traveled by the ball.
• He set the NFL record for the most consecutive made field goals to start a career with 35.

Aubrey’s real-life working experience provides him with a unique perspective on his financial situation. He’s a family man, he’s old in NFL terms, and he recognizes that opportunities can be few and far between, so when a huge one sits right in front of him, it’s kind of a big deal. Recently, while enjoying his Pro Bowl vacation, he talked to the media and offered his perspective on the situation.

I say every year I have an NFL job is 7 to 10 years I won’t have to have a normal job. So we’ll be fine without a contract, but obviously the contract accelerates the retirement.

The Cowboys know how valuable he is and attempted to open extension talks during the 2025 season, but Aubrey chose to defer those discussions to his agent, focusing instead on maintaining his on-field performance. This strategic patience allows him to enter the current market as a top-tier asset. Currently, he is among the lowest-paid active kickers with an average annual value of just $898,333, yet his performance warrants a contract that rivals the league’s highest earners at his position.

Aubrey has been money the moment he stepped on the field, and now it’s time for him to see some of it. The Cowboys are expected to place a $6 million, second-round tender on him to protect their interest while working toward a long-term deal that should make him the highest-paid kicker in the league, effectively resetting the market.

For Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, the choice is clear. Pay the man, or risk losing a player who has made punting from the opponent’s side of the field practically obsolete. Aubrey’s near-unlimited range has fundamentally changed how the offense approaches third downs and end-of-half situations. And there is no way they will be without that advantage by shanking these negotiations.