Brandon Aubrey has one of the biggest legs in NFL history. Through three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, he’s hit six field goals from 60 yards or longer, more than any kicker ever in that span. So when the conversation turns to a potential four-point field goal rule, he’s one of the few players whose opinion actually carries weight.
And his take? Mixed. But mostly wary.
Talking to ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, Aubrey said the idea messes with the fundamental math of football. It makes you stop trying to get closer to the end zone. It rewards stalling out near midfield.
“I think it’s a little weird,” Aubrey said. “Kind of incentivizes you to stall the drive in a certain spot. It makes you really, really question your playcalling around that 50-yard line area. It’s interesting for kickers that have the leg to get it there, maybe [there’s] a little bit more value there. But kind of perverses the incentives of football where the goal is to get it as close to the other person’s half as possible.”
The four-point field goal isn’t an NFL thing. Not yet anyway. It’s already a reality in the United Football League, which adopted the change back in February. Under the UFL’s new rule, any made field goal from 60 yards out is worth four points. But that’s not all. The league also banned most punts from inside the opponent’s 50-yard line, forcing offenses to either go for it or attempt a long kick.
That combination puts a premium on distance and accuracy. And it gives guys like Aubrey a much bigger role in the game plan.
“So, I’m conflicted on it,” Aubrey said. “I like it for the kickers. I think it’s a nightmare for the playcallers.”
He’s not wrong. If you’re an offensive coordinator and the difference between a 45-yard field goal and a 62-yard field goal is an extra point, the math changes. Do you burn a timeout to get five more yards? Do you risk a sack or a penalty that backs you up? Do you even bother running the ball if you’re already at the 48-yard line?
None of that is settled yet. The NFL hasn’t shown any real interest in the four-point field goal. No committee has floated a proposal. But the UFL’s move got people talking. And when a kicker with Aubrey’s résumé says it could change the way offense is called, people listen.
For now, the three-point standard stays. But the conversation around what a 60-yard kick is worth is not going away. Especially when the guy with the strongest leg in the league says it might fundamentally change the game. Maybe not for the better.
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