The preseason doesn't usually give us very many memorable plays, but Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey gave us one Saturday night when he smashed a 66-yard field goal during Dallas' 27-12 win over the Raiders.
The monster kick by Aubrey matched the NFL record, which was set by Justin Tucker in 2021, when he hit a 66-yard game-winner on the final play to propel the Ravens to a 19-17 win over the Lions. Unfortunately for Aubrey, preseason stats don't count in the NFL record book, so he won't get his name etched next to Tucker's.
That being said, Aubrey did break the preseason record for longest field goal, which is mostly notable because it's an impressive mark that somehow managed to stand for more than 20 years before the Cowboys kicker came along and broke it over the weekend.
The preseason record was set back in 2002 by a player most NFL fans have never heard of: Ola Kimrin.
At the time, the Swedish-born kicker was in training camp with the Denver Broncos where he was competing with Jason Elam for the job. Although Kimrin didn't make the team, he did leave his mark on the NFL when he drilled a 65-yard field goal just before halftime in a game against the Seahawks.
To give you an idea of how improbable this kick was, just consider this: Going into the 2002 season, there had only been FOUR KICKS in all of NFL history of 60 yards or more. Kimrin's kick topped the NFL record at the time, which was 63 yards.
Although 60-plus yard field goals are still rare, they are much more common now than they were in 2002. From 2003 thru 2023, there were a total of 29 field goals of 60 yards or more in the regular season for a total of 33 in NFL history.
Including the preseason and regular season, Tucker and Aubrey are the only two kickers who have ever hit one longer than Kimrin's 65-yarder.
Kimrin had a monster leg, but that didn't end up translating to an NFL job. The Swede ended up playing in just five career regular-season games in the NFL and those all came in 2004 with Washington. During his brief NFL stint, Kimrin hit just 60% of his field goals (6 of 10) and he missed his only attempt from beyond 50 yards.
Not many fans remember Kimrin's kick, but it was the longest in preseason history before Aubrey came along.
Speaking of Aubrey, his 66-yarder would have been good from 72 yards, according to NFL's Next Gen Stats, and based on the power in his leg, it won't be surprising if he eventually tops Tucker's NFL record for longest field goal. Aubrey said he's hit from as far back as 70 yards in practice, so if the right situation comes up, don't be surprised if the Cowboys give him a chance to break Tucker's record this year.