Taking a brief sabbatical from Houston Texans draft talk for a second, there’s a bit of breaking news that indirectly impacts the team in the kicking department.
According to ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter, the Dallas Cowboys and phenom kicker Brandon Aubrey have agreed on a new four-year contract that now makes him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history. He’s the first kicker to make $7 million annually, and his deal grants him $20 million in guarantees.
This comes in the same offseason in which the Texans extended fellow kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, who’s now making $6.5 million annually in his deal.
Even though the two kickers are only separated by $500,000 in annual value, this is yet another situation where the Texans find themselves as beneficiaries of getting ahead of the market. By signing Fairbairn earlier than Aubrey, it allowed Houston to get some of the same production while also saving a few bucks on the salary cap compared to other impending contracts.
Additionally, it continues the narrative that Houston and Dallas are polar opposites when it comes to how expedient they are at taking care of their best players when the opportunity presents itself.
Texans Fairbairn and Cowboys’ Aubrey compared
Over the last three seasons, Fairbairn and Aubrey have been two of the most impactful kickers in the entire NFL. Although, Fairbairn has actually been the better statistical kicker over that span. Here’s a look by the numbers:
Kicker | FGM | FG% | 20-29 | 30-39 | 40-49 | 50+ | XP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fairbairn | 107/118 | 90.7% | 26/28 | 32/32 | 22/23 | 27/35 | 83/80 |
Aubrey | 112/127 | 88.2% | 23/23 | 26/30 | 28/30 | 35/44 | 126/130 |
So, while Aubrey has been more of the highlight reel kicker in 60-yard situations, Fairbairn has edged Aubrey in the reliability category. Fairbairn has been better in overall percentage, including advantages from 30-39, 40-49, 50-plus and extra points. Essentially, Fairbairn has been the more clutch kicker in every way except record-breaking distances.
While this piece is not intended to downplay Aubrey's impact in the NFL during his short career, it is meant to highlight the level of proficiency that Fairbairn himself has put forth, and how his front office made it a priority to compensate without much of a fight (unlike the Cowboys' handling of Aubrey).
Texans and Cowboys have handled key contracts differently over the years
Over the last half-decade at least, Houston and Dallas have built up respective reputations for the contract management of impact players on their teams.
Dallas is known to let things drag out to a self-destructive degree, which has cost them in both dollars and lost talent (i.e. Dak Prescott saga, Micah Parsons trade). On the other hand, Houston has made it a point to provide contracts that have qualified as both "ahead of the market" and "above market value." In handling it that way, general manager Nick Caserio accomplishes the purpose of handsomly rewarding players, while also dictating the market for the rest of the league.
This has been the case for defensive end Danielle Hunter, cornerback Derek Stingley, Fairbairn and most recently, star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. All have been paid at the top of the market at their respective times, but were quickly followed by other deals that immediately pushed them down the financial rankings charts.
The Aubrey deal is yet another example of how well Caserio has managed both finances and player relationships, and here's hoping to many more deals of the same type moving forward.
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