Brandon Aubrey unofficially tied the NFL's record for the longest-ever made field goal during the preseason.
He nearly turned that into actual history during the Cowboys' first game of the 2024 season.
Aubrey lined up to attempt a 66-yard field goal in the first half of the Cowboys vs. Browns game in Week 1. Mere seconds remained in the half, but Dallas called timeout to ensure the second-year kicker would have a chance to swing his boot and build upon their 17-point lead.
The former soccer player's kick was true, and it split the uprights from 66 yards away. However, the make didn't end up counting. Here's why.
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Brandon Aubrey field goal record
Aubrey managed to make his 66-yard field goal attempt at the end of the first half, but it was wiped out by a penalty.
Dallas wasn't able to snap the ball before the play clock expired. The officials noticed the infraction and threw their flags while Aubrey was going through the motions.
The kick sailed through the uprights, but it didn't count.
Dallas' coaching staff was annoyed by the penalty. Mike McCarthy and special teams coordinator John Fassel motioned that they believed the play clock should have been reset before the kick. That would have allowed Aubrey to get it off.
Alas, the officials didn't agree, so Aubrey's record-tying kick was nullified.
And while NFL fans momentarily were led to believe that Dallas would let Aubrey attempt a record-breaking 71-yard field goal, the Cowboys eventually changed their minds. They instead put Dak Prescott on the field to attempt a Hail Mary.
It fell well short of the goal line, as Prescott was hit while he was throwing.
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Longest field goals in NFL history
Had Aubrey's Week 1 kick counted, he would have tied Justin Tucker for the longest-ever field goal make in NFL history. Tucker made a 66-yard field goal as time expired during a 2021 Ravens vs. Lions game to give Baltimore a narrow victory.
Below is a look at the 12 longest kicks in NFL history.
| Rank | Kicker | Team | Year | Distance (yards) |
| 1 | Justin Tucker | Ravens | 2021 | 66 |
| 2 | Matt Prater | Broncos | 2013 | 64 |
| T-3 | Tom Dempsey | Saints | 1970 | 63 |
| Jason Elam | Broncos | 1998 | 63 | |
| Sebastian Janikowski | Raiders | 2011 | 63 | |
| David Akers | 49ers | 2012 | 63 | |
| Graham Gano | Panthers | 2018 | 63 | |
| Brett Maher | Cowboys | 2019 | 63 | |
| T-9 | Matt Bryant | Buccaneers | 2006 | 62 |
| Stephen Gostkowski | Patriots | 2017 | 62 | |
| Brett Maher | Cowboys | 2019 | 62 | |
| Matt Prater | Cardinals | 2023 | 62 |
Impressively, Aubrey has now twice made 66-yard field goals that would have tied the NFL record. Neither of them counted, as his kick Sunday was wiped out by a penalty while his only official 66-yard make came in the preseason.
So, Aubrey has twice proven he has the leg strength and accuracy needed to eventually tie or break Tucker's record. Now, it's just a matter of making that happen in the regular season.