MLS flop Brandon Aubrey to make more NFL history with record contract

Tom Weber

• 1 Mar 2026 17:00 CST
• 5 min read

News

Former Toronto FC draft pick Brandon Aubrey continues to make history for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL.

Aubrey famously failed to make the grade in Major League Soccer after a standout college career. A centre-back with an eye for goal, he was drafted by Toronto FC in 2017 at a time when the Ontario club was the gold standard in the MLS.

He was not deemed good enough for the first team and was instead instructed to act as a leader for the club's reserve side, which was primarily made up of academy prospects.

He struggled in this role and left Toronto after a year, returning to the United States with second-tier side Bethlehem Steel, an affiliate club of the Philadelphia Union. Again, he lasted just 12 months.

At that point, he decided to retire from professional soccer to pursue a job in software engineering, but his wife convinced him that he could yet have a career in elite sports by becoming a placekicker in American football.

Aubrey set for historic Dallas contract

After a few years of training and playing in the USFL, Aubrey was signed by the Dallas Cowboys. He made his NFL debut aged 28 in 2023 and since gone on to break several records.

Among other accolades, he has the fifth-highest field goal percentage in NFL history with 88.2%, set a new single-season record for the most field goals from 60+ yards in 2025 and has been an All-Pro in each of three seasons in the league.

He is already widely recognised as one of the best kickers in league history, so his contract situation has caused quite a stir in NFL circles in recent weeks. Aubrey's current deal is expiring, and free agency is about to open in just a few days.

Rumours surfaced earlier in the week that Aubrey was demanding $10 million per season, which would have shattered the record for guaranteed compensation received by a placekicker.

Aubrey, his wife and his agent, Todd France, have all denied this claim, but it is nevertheless expected that the 30-year-old will become the highest-paid kicker in NFL history when he signs a new deal, be it with the Cowboys or with another team.

Despite time running out, Dallas are relaxed about the situation, and there is an expectation that he will extend his contract with them. "I believe we can get a deal done with Brandon," Team CEO Stephen Jones told CBS at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

"I feel very optimistic, and we’ve made deals with Todd - sometimes they take a little longer. I have nothing but respect for Todd and what he’s about. We obviously started working on Brandon’s deal early last year.

"We wanted to get it done, but at the same time, I also understand that this is an opportunity for Brandon and his family. They want to make sure that it’s the right deal for them."

Owner Jerry Jones confirmed that Aubrey has a "good offer" on the table. "I think he’s outstanding," he said. "Love his story, love the fact that the story is with the Cowboys. We feel good that what we are talking about is an appreciation of what he can do for us... We’ve got a good offer on the table for him."

NFL insider Dan Graziano believes that a deal will get done eventually. Even if they miss the free agency deadline, Dallas would still be able to negotiate with Aubrey, albeit on slightly different terms.

"Sabre rattling aside, I expect the Cowboys to reach a deal with Brandon Aubrey at some point in the first week or two of March that makes him the highest-paid kicker in the league," Graziano wrote. "If they don’t get a deal done by the restricted free agent tender deadline, Dallas plans to put a second-round tender on Aubrey.

"That means he’d make $5.767m this season if the two sides don’t reach a deal, and the Cowboys would get a second-round pick if another team made Aubrey a contract offer they didn’t want to match."

The suggestion of giving up a high draft pick for a kicker would have been laughed at previously, but Aubrey has redefined the position and become a genuine game-changer during his time with the Cowboys.

Currently, Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs is the highest-paid kicker with an average annual salary of $6.4m. It is expected that Aubrey's new deal will top that number, which will be another feather in the cap of the former soccer player.

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