The star long-ranger kicker continues to give Dallas a reason to believe from a distance. Brandon Aubrey drilled four field goals in an earlier thriller with the Giants. One of them is a last-second equalizer in regulation and a walk-off in overtime, a rare double that underscored how valuable his leg has become in close games. He has also stacked multiple makes from 60 plus this fall, turning long-range tries into routine points and reshaping Dallas’ scoring geography.
ESPN floated a provocative idea while listing potential trade chips, as an NFL rumor, including WR Jonathan Mingo, RB Javonte Williams, DT Mazi Smith, DT Kenny Clark, edge rushers Sam Williams and James Houston, and K Brandon Aubrey.
The piece notes Dallas is 3 4 1 and facing a brutal stretch with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions, which clouds any postseason outlook. The author doubts the Cowboys would move Aubrey, yet frames a thought experiment, a noncontender may not maximize an elite kicker who turns 31 next year and is extension eligible, and Dallas needs money flexibility around Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
Most clubs will not pay a premium pick for a kicker, but Aubrey might be the exception. Would an all-in team consider a second-rounder? The writer’s guess is no, but the question lingers, and the Cowboys have called attention to the draft capital they already added. All via ESPN, and the NFL rumor spread.
Why the rumor has oxygen is simple. Aubrey changes the win probability. He shrinks fourth down calculus for Mike McCarthy, he punishes stalled drives just past midfield, and he forces defenses to defend the last five minutes differently because Dallas can score from almost anywhere past the logo. If a contender is thin at kicker, the marginal value spikes in January-style games.
Age and contract context are part of the math. Kickers can play deep into their 30s, but extension timing matters, and cap planning around Prescott and Lamb tightens choices. That is why outside executives keep asking the same question even if Dallas keeps saying no.
His tape keeps helping their argument. In another recent outing against Washington, Aubrey hammered a 61-yarder, his fifth from 60-plus in his career, according to the broadcast, which pushed him into record territory for makes from that range. When a specialist flips possessions into points that far out, phones tend to ring.
