The Dallas Cowboys and Pro Bowl kicker Brandon Aubrey are navigating a tense chapter in contract negotiations after social media erupted with claims about a massive new deal, claims Aubrey himself has publicly rejected.
Amid ongoing discussions between his representatives and Cowboys officials, Aubrey weighed in with a single word on Instagram on Wednesday, writing simply: “Fake.”
That terse reply came under a post on Cowboys-affiliated 105.3 The Fan’s Instagram account that distilled recent reporting on his contract talks, setting off a flurry of interpretation across NFL media.
His wife, Jenn Aubrey, reinforced the pushback, writing “False” under a different social post that echoed similar salary speculation, both indicating that the narrative circulating on social platforms and message boards doesn’t capture the full story.
The Cowboy-Aubrey negotiations continue
The social responses came after reports that the Cowboys had made what would be the largest contract ever for a kicker in NFL history, with an average annual value reportedly near $7.5 million, exceeding the $6.4 million a year currently earned by Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sources close to the negotiations also suggested Aubrey‘s camp was pushing for a figure closer to $10 million per season, a sum that would reset the market and mark an unprecedented payday at the position.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged earlier this week that contract talks with Aubrey have been ongoing for some time and not without friction.
“We’ve been in talks with Aubrey since before the season started. That’s been a journey,” Jones said. “We haven’t been able to get to a point where we can all agree… but we’d love to get him done.”
Aubrey, 30, has ample reason to be careful about how his camp is portrayed. Since joining the Cowboys in 2023 after a standout stint in the USFL, he has quickly ascended to one of the NFL’s elite specialists.
Across his three seasons with Dallas, he has been selected to three Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors multiple times. His ability from long range, including a career-long 65-yard field goal, has redefined expectations at the position and added value well beyond typical kicker benchmarks.
Even with the public burst of speculation, both sides still have tools at their disposal to shape the outcome.
As a restricted free agent, the Cowboys can place a second-round tender on Aubrey, which would guarantee him a one-year salary of around $5.8 million and give Dallas the right of first refusal if another team makes an offer.
That tender would also entitle the Cowboys to compensation, a second-round pick, if they choose not to match an outside offer. It’s a strategic lever that could keep Aubrey in Dallas even if a long-term contract isn’t agreed upon before the start of free agency in March.