In the NFL, timing is everything. For Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn, it meant a record-breaking payday. For Dallas’ Brandon Aubrey, it’s proving to be a source of major frustration. While Fairbairn recently secured a lucrative extension with the Houston Texans, Aubrey is still waiting for the Cowboys to move forward with long-term contract talks.

“It’s not something that I have control over as the term restricted applies there,” Aubrey said in a video posted by Jeff Kolb on X. “So obviously, Dallas is my home. Would like to keep it that way, so it would be nice to get a long-term deal going, just need to sit down and have that conversation.”

Aubrey is currently a restricted free agent, which allows Dallas to control his rights for the 2026 season rather than letting him reach the open market like an unrestricted free agent.

Under the rules, Aubrey can still negotiate with other teams and sign an offer sheet once free agency opens. If another team signs him to an offer sheet, the Cowboys can either match the contract and keep him or decline and receive a second-round draft pick as compensation.

According to Jeff Kolb, contract talks haven’t progressed this week, but Aubrey downplayed the ‘waiting pattern,’ explaining that the team has more pressing priorities with its unrestricted free agents. He explained the team’s current priorities.

“No waiting pattern,” Aubrey said. “There’s a lot of moving parts with the Cowboys at the moment, and there are players that aren’t restricted that they got to sort through first because with that restriction, movement is significantly more difficult. So they go through, and there are more important fires to put out. And then they can circle when things calm down and talk to me.”

His value is undeniable after a stellar season where he earned his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection by converting 36 of 42 field goals, including a booming 64-yarder. His reliability was further highlighted by a near-perfect 97.9% success rate on extra points.

However, the tender gives Dallas significant leverage. Few teams historically give up a second-round pick for a kicker, which makes it unlikely that Aubrey leaves through an offer sheet. The tender essentially keeps him in Dallas for the 2026 season unless the Cowboys decide to trade him.

His one-year deal, worth about $5.81 million, could also discourage other teams from trying to sign him away, giving the Cowboys time to potentially work out a long-term deal later.

Brandon Aubrey is happy about Ka’imi Fairbairn’s record-breaking extension

While Brandon Aubrey’s contract negotiations remain stalled, the Dallas Cowboys kicker spoke positively about Ka’imi Fairbairn’s new contract.

“That’s always a positive anytime the market goes up as a whole, every kicker makes money,” Aubrey says. “So when he signs a new record contract, that makes the guy who’s signing number 32. Whether that’s a rookie contract, like I’d say anybody who’s signing a new deal. The price has gone up a little bit.”

Fairbairn, who was entering the final year of his contract, reset the market by signing a two-year, $13 million extension with the Texans, making him the highest-paid kicker in the league. His deal includes an average annual salary of $6.5 million. Before that extension, the Kansas City Chiefs’ Harrison Butker held that title with a $6.4 million average annual salary.

In 2025, he led the league in both field goal attempts (48) and field goals made (44). He was also perfect on extra points, going 28-of-28. Fairbairn finished ninth in field goal percentage at 91.7%. He also recorded 22 kickoff touchbacks during the season.

As Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas pointed out, he compared both kickers’ performances and said the new deal may not help Aubrey’s chances of getting more than $8 million per year.

“Since Brandon Aubrey entered the league, Ka’imi Fairbairn has a 90.7% field goal percentage, while Aubrey‘s is at 88.2%,” Belt wrote on X. “Fairbairn also barely eclipses Aubrey in 50+ yard field goal accuracy. $6.5m for Fairbairn doesn’t help Aubrey‘s search for $8m+.”

While Fairbairn’s deal sets a new benchmark for elite kickers, the Cowboys hold all the cards with Aubrey’s restricted status, leaving the Pro Bowler in a frustrating holding pattern as he waits for his own long-term security.