The Cowboys officially hold Brandon Aubrey’s rights for 2026

It feels like a long time ago now, but it was just two months in the rearview mirror that the Dallas Cowboys had some contract drama brewing with one of their better players.The Cowboys and Brandon Aubrey had a bit of a back and forth around the NFL combine, and thankfully the dust has settled on that particular front. Time will tell what ultimately comes of this situation in the future, but one thing is now for certain.Aubrey isn’t going anywhere any time soon.The Cowboys now hold Brandon Aubrey’s rights for 2026Earlier this offseason the Cowboys placed a second-round tender on Aubrey.Here is how it happened and what it all means:The Cowboys placed a second-round tender on Aubrey at a value of $5.8M for 2026This puts Aubrey third in the NFL among kickers from an annual average value perspectiveAny other team has been free to negotiate a new deal with Aubrey in this windowShould a team have come to terms with Aubrey on a new deal the Cowboys held the right of first refusalIf Dallas had declined to match that hypothetical deal, the new team would have also owed the Cowboys a second-round pickIt always seemed farfetched that another team would go out on such a limb for Aubrey, all due respect, which is why reaching Friday without it happening is hardly shocking.Obviously the Cowboys and Aubrey can still work out a long-term deal themselves as they have been able to up until this point. Whether or not that happens is another matter entirely.