Jerry Jones recently placed a second-round tender on kicker Brandon Aubrey after the two sides failed to lock in a long-term agreement. While the Dallas Cowboys kicker waits for updates on a new deal, he enjoys some time exploring a different sport in Arlington.

The Cowboys kicker got into a two-seater IndyCar and took a test ride that reached nearly 150 mph.

It happened during the IndyCar Series at AT&T Stadium for the Grand Prix of Arlington this weekend. Jerry Jones and some Cowboys players showed up to watch the action; however, it was Aubrey who caught everyone’s attention.

Interestingly, just days before the event, Aubrey also met professional racing driver Mick Schumacher at the Cowboys facility. The two athletes swapped insights from their very different sports. Schumacher explained the physical strain of handling a car at nearly 200 mph, while Aubrey walked him through the precision and technique behind NFL kicking.

This event meant a lot to Jerry Jones as well. The Cowboys owner worked with Roger Penske and the Texas Rangers to make the race happen in Arlington. Speaking on FOX, Jones expressed his excitement about how everything turned out.

“But I’ve said one thing when we first started talking about the idea. It has to be extremely high quality. Everything about it, the track, the equipment, everything involved. It’s beyond anything I could have expected. We know this had to go up,” Jones said.

“What have they done to my football stadium? It’s great. But no, it is great. And to think these guys are going to be upwards of 200 miles an hour in these turns, it just gives me the chills. Start your engines.”

In the end, Kyle Kirkwood took home the win at the first Grand Prix of Arlington. And it also gave Aubrey a short escape from reality and his uncertain future.

Brandon Aubrey opens up about the Cowboys’ restricted free agent strategy

The Cowboys’ slow approach during contract talks is nothing new. Right now, Brandon Aubrey is a restricted free agent, eagerly waiting for his turn. But disappointment is what he’s getting, as the team still controls his rights for the 2026 season instead of letting him enter the open market like an unrestricted free agent. This week, Aubrey finally addressed Jerry Jones’ approach and how the situation currently stands.

“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.”

Meanwhile, the league rules still leave a small window open. In free agency, he can chat with other teams and even sign an offer sheet. But if that happens, the Cowboys get the last word. They can either keep him by matching the offer or let him go and get a second-round draft pick in return.

Aubrey also mentioned that the front office has more important issues to deal with right now. They need to focus on several unrestricted free agents, which has delayed his own talks.

“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.”

Brandon Aubrey’s performance continues to make a strong argument for his value. In the 2025 season, the 31-year-old had another impressive year in Arlington. He successfully made 36 out of 42 field goals, giving him an 85.7 percent success rate, and even kicked a remarkable 64-yarder. Additionally, he only missed one extra point out of 48 attempts, which earned him his third consecutive Pro Bowl selection and a second straight All-Pro second-team honor.

However, the current tender puts the Cowboys in a good position. Usually, teams are hesitant to give up a second-round pick for a kicker, making it less likely for other teams to make an offer. This means Aubrey will likely stay with the Cowboys for the 2026 season unless they choose to trade him.

So, let’s see how things go from here.