National Football League

Cowboys sign standout USFL kicker Brandon Aubrey

Updated Jul. 6, 2023 6:02 p.m. ET

The Cowboys continue to bolster their ranks with help from the USFL.

Word surfaced Thursday that they had, at long last, added another kicker, agreeing to terms with Brandon Aubrey, who spent his last two seasons with the Birmingham Stallions. Aubrey helped the Stallions secure back-to-back USFL championship on July 1, as he chipped in four extra points in a 28-12 win against the Pittsburgh Maulers.

This is long-expected news, given the relative lack of options on the roster. The Cowboys opted not to bring back Brett Maher this spring, due in large part to Maher missing five extra points across two playoff games in 2022. They signed Tristan Vizcaino to fill the role during the offseason program. But with Vizcaino having attempted just 12 NFL field goals, it was widely expected there would be competition for the job.

Interestingly, Aubrey brings even less in the way of NFL experience. A native of nearby Plano, Texas, Aubrey initially played soccer for Notre Dame and had brief professional stints in both Major League Soccer and the United Soccer League. But prior to playing for Birmingham, he had no noteworthy experience as a placekicker. Clearly, he has a knack for it.

The Stallions drafted him in the 2022 USFL Draft and he's held the job for two years, connecting on 32-of-37 career field goals, including an impressive 14-of-15 in 2023 that helped him earn All-USFL honors. Perhaps just as important, given the Cowboys' recent struggles, is that he has connected on 97% of his career extra-point attempts.

USFL championship game highlights

This is the second straight summer the Cowboys have added standout USFL players. Last year, they signed All-USFL receiver and league MVP Kavontae Turpin the same week they arrived at training camp. Turpin went on to handle kick- and punt-return duties, earning his way to the Pro Bowl as a special-teamer after tallying 511 return yards on the season.

The Cowboys are undoubtedly hoping this decision turns out similarly, as Aubrey will head to camp as the latest USFL star hoping to play his way to an NFL spot.

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Kicker immediately becomes one of the more interesting position battles when training camp opens in Oxnard, Calif., later this month. Vizcaino has spent time with eight different NFL teams over the last four years, but he has never appeared in more than six games.

Aubrey will obviously be hoping to impress in his first-ever NFL opportunity. Given both kickers' inexperience, they'll have to perform well enough to stave off competition from outside the roster, as well. After all, Maher didn't join the team until midway through camp last August.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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