FRISCO, Texas — Dak Prescott said Thursday that he wants to give Brandon Aubrey the fewest kicks possible, three days before the Dallas Cowboys open the season against the New York Giants.
Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. Protecting the ball is vital at quarterback for Prescott.
“You understand when you’re across the 50, you’ve got that in your back pocket,” Prescott said. “But at the end of the day, protecting the ball is vital at this position, right? And I can’t, yeah, be hanging on my kicker to get me out of trouble. So for me, it’s about converting and let that guy rest until we really need him.”
“And there’s going to be drives, there’s going to be times, and there’s going to be series, yeah, where we didn’t get it,” Prescott continued. “We shot ourselves in the foot with a penalty, whatever it may be, and he’s got to come in and do his job. But ultimately, for me, it’s about giving him the fewest amount of kicks possible just to make sure we’re not putting added pressure on him, and he’s staying fresh, and when he’s needed, he’s needed to go kick it from, damn, the whole field if he needs to.”
Nick Sorensen On Brandon Aubrey’s Record Contract
On April 20, Aubrey agreed to a four-year, $28 million extension with $20 million guaranteed, making him the first kicker in NFL history with a $7 million annual average. Dallas had placed a second-round tender worth $5.76 million on him in March, when he was a restricted free agent. Special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen said Thursday that he and Aubrey start talking about the plan after the season.
“Just stay consistent was the main thing,” Sorensen said. “Obviously, we know he’s got the leg, very accurate. It was really just having a consistent plan, which we start talking about after the season, and then when they come back in the offseason.”
“I think getting his contract was a nice, calming thing for him, put him in a good head space, even though he kicked really, really well last year,” Sorensen continued. “So it’s just about a consistent thing with him, sticking to his plan and staying to it.”
In 2025, Aubrey made 36 of 42 field goals, including 11 of 17 from 50 yards or longer, and 47 of 48 extra points. His long was 64 yards. He was a second-team All-Pro for the second straight year and made his third straight Pro Bowl.
Through three seasons, Aubrey has made 112 of 127 field goals, an 88.2% rate. His six field goals of 60 yards or more are the most in NFL history, according to the AP. He set the franchise record with a 65-yarder in 2024 and was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2023.
Brandon Aubrey And Dak Prescott As Dallas Cowboys Captains
Cowboys players voted Prescott and Aubrey two of four team captains for 2026, along with defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark. Coach Brian Schottenheimer announced the captains Sept. 3. Sorensen said Aubrey will use his voice when he needs to.
“I think it just goes to show the respect they have for him,” Sorensen said of Aubrey’s vote. “Anyone that gets voted captain by their teammates, that’s a huge honor. It means a lot.”
Sunday’s game is outdoors, and outdoor games change the plan for where Aubrey places his kickoffs, Sorensen said. In the Jan. 4 finale at MetLife Stadium, Aubrey made one of two attempts and missed from 57 yards in the third quarter of a 34-17 loss.
Aubrey went to Plano High School and played soccer at Notre Dame before Toronto FC drafted him in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft. He was working as a software engineer in Arlington when he started kicking, spent two seasons with the USFL’s Birmingham Stallions, and signed with Dallas before training camp in 2023.
