While contract decisions are taking center stage before free agency, Dallas Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones is not wasting time. The Cowboys had signed kicker Brandon Aubrey to a three-year, $2.695 million contract back in 2023, but that deal is set to expire soon. Now, while Aubrey headlines a growing list of Cowboys contributors entering free agency next month, Jones just confirmed that his team wants to secure Aubrey’s future in Dallas.

“We’ve been working on a long-term deal for some time,” Stephen Jones told The Dallas Morning News on February 22. “We’ve exchanged offers, and the goal is to get him [Aubrey] signed. We’ll tender him before the deadline if that’s what we have to decide.”

Stephen Jones’ statement made it clear that the Cowboys value Brandon Aubrey highly, but they are also prepared to use leverage if necessary. Aubrey has built a résumé that few kickers can match in the NFL in just three seasons. He has converted 112 of 127 field goals (88.2%) and 126 of 130 extra points (96.2%). Aubrey’s 65-yard field goal stands as his longest record, and he owns the most 60-plus-yard field goals in the league’s history. 

Still, Stephen Jones made it clear that Dallas will not rush into a deal with the kicker at any cost. If negotiations stall, the Cowboys can tender Aubrey before free agency. That would allow other NFL teams to negotiate with Aubrey, but the Cowboys would retain the right of first refusal. 

If another franchise signs Brandon Aubrey and the Cowboys decline to match, that NFL team would owe Dallas draft compensation tied to the tender level. In other words, the Cowboys hold meaningful leverage.

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Aubrey could still command around $7 million per year, which would make him the highest-paid kicker in the NFL. Considering his consistency, range, and three straight Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors, Aubrey is certainly worth that kind of money. Even during a disappointing 2025 campaign for Dallas, Aubrey remained steady. He converted 36 of 42 field-goal attempts (85.7%), made all 47 extra points, and scored 155 of the Cowboys’ total points in the season. 

Now, while Brandon Aubrey’s contract situation unfolds, Stephen Jones has already taken decisive action at another key position by re-signing running back Javonte Williams.

Why did Stephen Jones and the Cowboys agree to an extension deal for Javonte Williams?

After four injury-filled years in the Denver Broncos, Javonte Williams took a one-year, $3 million bet on himself with the Cowboys before the 2025 season, and it paid off. He rolled up 1,201 rushing yards, finally cracking the 1,000-yard mark and giving Dallas its most productive ground season at running back since Ezekiel Elliott went for 1,357 in 2019. So, while Williams rewarded the Cowboys’ gamble on him, he also forced the team’s front office to make a decision on his contract. 

The Cowboys just re-signed Williams to a three-year, $24 million contract with $16 million guaranteed, and Stephen Jones made it clear that his team wanted to have the RB back.

“We love him [Williams],” Stephen Jones said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News. “He wants to be here, so that part is accomplished.”

That mutual interest clearly played a major role in Williams securing an extension deal in Dallas. But the extension does more than just reward Williams – it also stabilizes the Cowboys’ offense. In the past season, Williams also recorded 35 receptions for 137 yards and 2 passing touchdowns, proving he can impact multiple phases of the team’s offense. So, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott now retains a dependable backfield partner who can carry the load on the ground and contribute in the passing game.

However, finalizing Williams’ deal was not without complications for the Cowboys. Dallas Morning News reporter Calvin Watkins recently revealed that negotiations with Williams had hit a snag earlier in the offseason.

“The Cowboys have tried to take care of business with running back Javonte Williams, but he switched agents and currently doesn’t have one,” Watkins wrote in a recent article. “When the season ended, Cowboys officials started talks with Williams’ agent at the time, then had to halt discussions with the agent change.”

That pause could have derailed momentum, but the Cowboys stayed patient, and Stephen Jones also reiterated his team’s commitment to Williams.

“Javonte is at the top of our list to go out and sign,” Stephen Jones said last month. “We want to bring him back. We want to sign him to a multiple-year deal.”

Ultimately, Williams’ career-high rushing yards, touchdowns, and attempts in the past season led him to return to Dallas straightforwardly for him. Moreover, while Stephen Jones decided to retain Williams, it revealed that he wants to keep the Cowboys competitive while heading into the new season.