Back in May, Dallas special teams coach John Fassel said the team would consider "everyone on earth" for their kicking job, and after going through all the applications, it seems that the Cowboys have finally found their guy.
Tthe team has agreed to a contract with former USFL standout Brandon Aubrey, who has never kicked in an NFL game before. Instead of going with someone who has NFL experience -- like Mason Crosby or Robbie Gould -- the Cowboys have decided to go an unconventional route with their latest signing by adding a player who spent most of his life playing soccer before switching over to football in 2022.
Aubrey spent two seasons in the USFL, but before that, he was a soccer player. From 2013 thru 2016, Aubrey was at Notre Dame, where he played soccer for the Fighting Irish. After leaving college, Aubrey was drafted, but not in the NFL. In 2017, Toronto FC made Aubrey the 21st overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft.
After only lasting one season in Toronto, Aubrey spent some time trying to keep his soccer career alive, but eventually, he decided to give up so he could try a different sport. In 2022, his professional football career officially came to a start when the Birmingham Stallions selected him with the 260th overall pick in the USFL Draft.
During his two seasons in Birmingham, Aubrey was one of the best kickers in the USFL while winning two titles with the Stallions. The 28-year-old had a nearly perfect 2023 season, going 14 of 15 on field goals and a perfect 35 of 35 on extra points, which was likely enticing to a Cowboys team that experienced a kicking nightmare in the playoffs last season when Brett Maher hit just one of six extra points in two games.
The Stallions released Aubrey from his contract on July 3, which set the stage for his signing Thursday.
Aubrey will now compete with Tristan Vizcaino for the Cowboys kicking job. Vizcaino has kicked in a total of 10 NFL games over the past three seasons, and during that span, he's hit 91.7% of his field goals. It will be interesting to see how the competition plays out, especially since Aubrey is such an unknown quantity.
The two biggest questions surrounding Aubrey heading into training camp are: Can he handle the pressure that comes with the NFL? And can he handle kicking from long distance?
Although he went 14 of 15 this season in the USFL, his longest kick was from 49 yards (his only miss came from beyond 50). If Aubrey proves he can make long kicks and proves he can handle the pressure of kicking in the NFL, then he'll have a good shot of making the Cowboys roster.
