It’s been quite an eventful week for Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl kicker Brandon Aubrey.
Aubrey didn’t practice all week and appeared on the injury report Wednesday, surprising Cowboys fans. He was labeled as “NIR” or “non-injury related,” and the reason for this designation brought some laughter.
The team’s most reliable offensive player was selected for a 12-person jury in a felony case, meaning he was sidelined due to jury duty.
There were some concerns about Aubrey’s ability to play on Sunday night, but the coaching staff remained optimistic that jury duty wouldn’t affect his availability since jurors were not required to be sequestered.
Last season, Aubrey was the NFL’s leading scorer with 157 points. As he entered Week 8, he ranked seventh in the league with 60 points over six games, with five of the six players ahead of him having played one additional game.
Aubrey is 17-of-19 on field goals this season, with a long of 65 yards, and he’s perfect on extra points at 9-of-9.
His presence has been vital to the Cowboys’ offensive performance. Aubrey was practicing at night after fulfilling his duties, and on Saturday, there was encouraging news.
When the team boarded its charter flight to the West Coast, Aubrey arrived and was ready to travel with his teammates.
More news…..
Dak Prescott identifies a Cowboys issue and points the finger at Jerry Jones and the fans
Dak Prescott has faced significant criticism during the Cowboys’ home games, where they have not won in Arlington for three outings, conceding over 40 points in each loss.
Recently, he got engaged to Sarah Jane Ramos, which led to more scrutiny, prompting him to respond to fans visiting the team’s training facility.
Dak Prescott opposes fan tours at The Star
Several Cowboys players, including Prescott, have voiced their objections to fan tours at The Star, Dallas’ training facility. While Prescott doesn’t mind fans being present, he believes it disrupts the team’s focus. “On the one hand, this is all I know. I’m not going to let a couple of people walking around the building distract me. I’m present where I am,” he stated Thursday, as reported by Jon Machota of The Athletic.
He added, “I think, honestly, it’s an excuse. What’s the difference in [the media] coming into the locker room and talking? Guys complain about that, too, and I don’t understand it. It’s about being professional; some things you have to deal with.”
Acknowledging that the Cowboys have more tours than other teams, Prescott emphasized the need for acceptance. “You can either go through and have a negative mindset about it and let it ruin your day, or you can be grateful to be in an organization that people want to see.”
The role of fans for the Cowboys
Prescott drew a parallel between fan tours and playing before a sellout crowd at AT&T Stadium, especially given that many fans have turned against him this season. “If that’s the case, then the crowd is a distraction when you’re on the field,” he remarked.
He continued, “It’s the NFL. It’s a business that has exactly those reasons why this game is entertaining; that people want to watch it; that you have the fans that you have and you can build the relationships. If you get distracted by that, then you get distracted by the fans in whatever stadium you walk into.”
