Brandon Aubrey is no longer facing an outside offer-sheet decision for 2026. The deadline passed April 17, 2026, for other teams to submit offer sheets to the Dallas Cowboys kicker, according to the team. Aubrey remains able to sign his one-year, $5.76 million tender, negotiate a long-term contract with Dallas, or be traded by the Cowboys.
That means the immediate question is not whether another team can present him with a new offer sheet. It is which of the remaining paths Aubrey and Dallas choose, and whether the relationship continues beyond the 2026 season.
What Aubrey can do next
The first option is the tender. Dallas placed the second-round tender on Aubrey March 7, and the team’s report identifies the value as $5.76 million for one year. Signing it would put Aubrey under contract for the 2026 season without resolving the longer-term dispute.
The second option is a multiyear agreement. The deadline did not end negotiations between Aubrey and the Cowboys. Dallas’ report says the two sides can still work toward an extension, and earlier CBS Sports reporting also described the negotiations as ongoing without an agreement.
The third option belongs to Dallas: a trade. The team can elect to trade Aubrey rather than keep him on the tender or complete an extension. The supplied evidence does not identify a trade partner, an offer, or a timetable for such a move, so any claim that a deal is likely would go beyond the record.
Why the deadline changes the leverage
A restricted free-agent tender gives Dallas control over the immediate decision after the outside offer-sheet window closes. With that window gone, Aubrey’s documented choices narrow to a contract with the Cowboys, a trade arranged by the Cowboys, or the one-year tender already set out by the team.
That structure also separates the 2026 question from the next offseason. Dallas says Aubrey would earn a fourth accrued season if he reports to training camp and plays in at least six regular-season games. If he has not signed a long-term deal before then, the team says he would become an unrestricted free agent next offseason.
The six-game condition is therefore the next eligibility detail to watch. The supplied reporting does not say whether Aubrey has signed the tender, reported to camp, or appeared in any 2026 regular-season game. Those facts remain unresolved.
What each stakeholder gets—and risks
Aubrey
Aubrey has a guaranteed one-year route identified by Dallas, but the tender would leave his longer-term status unsettled. A long-term agreement could provide more contractual certainty, while waiting could preserve a path to unrestricted free agency after the 2026 season if the accrued-season requirements are met. The evidence does not establish which outcome Aubrey prefers beyond his stated interest in remaining in Dallas.
The Cowboys
Dallas retains the ability to keep Aubrey for 2026, negotiate an extension, or trade him. That gives the team flexibility, but it also leaves the long-term value question open. Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said he was satisfied with Aubrey playing on the tender while still expressing long-term plans. That is a stated team position, not proof that an extension is close.
Other NFL teams
Outside teams have lost the offer-sheet opportunity described in the official report. They could become relevant only if Dallas chooses to trade Aubrey, but the supplied evidence does not confirm that any team is pursuing him or that Dallas is actively shopping him.
The performance behind the negotiations
Aubrey’s bargaining position is tied to a strong first three seasons with Dallas. The team reports that he made 112 of 127 career field-goal attempts, an 88.2% conversion rate, and earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of those seasons. Dallas also says he made three field goals of at least 60 yards in 2025, the most in one NFL season, and kicked three field goals of at least 50 yards in one game against Detroit.
Those figures explain why the Cowboys have described long-term plans, but they do not determine the contract outcome. The next meaningful evidence will be a signed tender, a completed extension, a trade announcement, or confirmation that Aubrey has met the requirements for an accrued season.
Brandon Aubrey's outside offer-sheet window is closed, but his Cowboys future is not settled. Dallas has identified three paths: a one-year, $5.76 million tender, a long-term agreement or a trade. The tender gives the team a defined 2026 option, while Aubrey's future free-agency position depends on whether he reports to camp and plays at least six regular-season games. The supplied evidence confirms the deadline and contract framework, but not a pending extension, trade interest or final decision. The next useful signal will be an official transaction or confirmation of his 2026 participation.
Sources and methodology
- Deadline passes for outside teams to sign kicker Brandon ... - https://www.dallascowboys.com/news/deadline-passes-for-outside-teams-to-sign-kicker-brandon-aubrey
- Cowboys Kicker Brandon Aubrey Faces Major Contract ... - https://roundtable.io/sports/nfl/cowboys/news/cowboys-kicker-brandon-aubrey-faces-major-contract-deadline
- Brandon Aubrey seeks nearly $10 million as Cowboys ... - https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cowboys-free-agency-brandon-aubrey
