Cowboys Officially Place Second-Round Tender on Brandon Aubrey, T.J. Bass

The Dallas Cowboys want to keep kicker Brandon Aubrey and guard T.J. Bass, and took the first step by placing a second-round tender on both players.

Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey celebrates after kicking the game-winning field goal against the Philadelphia Eagles. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are making it clear they want to keep Brandon Aubrey in Dallas. The All-Pro kicker just wrapped up his third NFL season and entered the offseason as a restricted free agent.

Dallas was expected to use a second-round tender on Aubrey, which would allow Aubrey to test free agency. It would also allow Dallas to match any contract he's offered on the open market.

If the Cowboys don't match the deal, any team signing Aubrey would have to send Dallas a second-round pick. If no offer sheet is given to Aubrey, he will play on a one-year, $5.76 million deal.

Cowboys have given the second-round, $5.76 million tender to kicker Brandon Aubrey, per source. Aubrey now can sign an offer sheet with another team that the Cowboys would have the right to match. If they don’t, they would get back a second-round pick. pic.twitter.com/d39RptZE9Z

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 7, 2026

Both sides preferred to get a long-term deal done, but could not come to terms on a salary. There were reports that Dallas offered a deal that would make Aubrey the highest-paid kicker in the league. Currently, that distinction belongs to Harrison Butker of the Kansas City Chiefs, who makes an annual average salary of $6.4 million.

Aubrey is already a record-setting kicker, hitting on a league-high six kicks from beyond 60 yards. Determining his value isn't easy, but the tender allows him to negotiate with other teams. That will help him and the Cowboys assess his worth in terms of salary.

Cowboys also tender key offensive lineman, T.J. Bass

Dallas Cowboys guard T.J. Bass warms up before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Dallas has one of the top interior offensive lines in the NFL with Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker at guard and Cooper Beebe at center. When all three are on the field, they're able to control the game on the ground, leading to an impressive run game.

When any of the three have been sidelined, the Cowboys have had the luxury of turning to two talented backups in Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass. They're each headed for free agency, but the Cowboys made sure they have the chance to retain Bass by placing a second-round tender on him as well.

Cowboys place second-round RFA tender on OL TJ Bass, in addition to K Brandon Aubreyhttps://t.co/GpxUGNdStc pic.twitter.com/MhLtACxqeD

— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) March 7, 2026

Undrafted out of Oregon in 2023, Bass has appeared in 48 games with 10 starts for the Cowboys over the past three seasons. In addition to being their top interior reserve, Bass is a fixture on their special teams as well.

It wouldn't be surprising to see teams show interest in Bass, but the second-round tender likely keeps him in Dallas for at least the 2026 season.

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —