There are typically a few eyebrow-raising reasons that NFL players miss practice in any given week, but Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey provided fans with a new one on Oct. 23.
Aubrey was absent from Cowboys practice Wednesday, but it wasn’t because of an injury. According to Dallas’ injury report, the All-Pro kicker had jury duty.
Aubrey’s status as a high-profile juror has naturally drawn a lot of interest from Cowboys and NFL fans alike. Many have wondered exactly how Aubrey’s jury duty responsibilities will impact his career and whether he will have to miss time after being selected to participate in a 12-person jury.
Here’s what to know about Aubrey, as he looks to both fulfill his civic duty and kick for the Cowboys.
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Brandon Aubrey jury duty
Aubrey missed Cowboys practice on Wednesday, Oct. 23 for jury duty and was selected to serve on a 12-person jury for a felony assault case in Tarrant County, centered around a second-degree strangulation charge, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
It was Aubrey’s decision to partake in jury duty on Wednesday, though the Cowboys attempted to ‘pull him away’ from it, the Star-Telegram reports.
Aubrey is expected to return to court on Thursday and Friday. Judge David Hagerman – who is reportedly presiding over the case, per ESPN’s Todd Archer – is also expected to work with Aubrey around his football schedule.
Still, there is no clear timetable on the case’s length, so Aubrey’s ability to participate in Cowboys practice moving forward is murky.
Will Brandon Aubrey play Week 8?
While Aubrey’s ability to practice may come into question, it doesn’t appear he will be in danger of missing any games.
The case will not require jurors to be sequestered, according to the Star-Telegram. That will allow Aubrey to be available for nights and weekends, which should allow him to kick in Dallas’ ‘Sunday Night Football’ against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 8.
The Cowboys are traveling to San Francisco for that contest on Saturday night, so Aubrey won’t even miss the team flight.
The element of Aubrey’s routine that will be most impacted by his jury duty will be his practice schedule. Typically, he kicks inside the Cowboys’ practice facility – the Ford Center – on Wednesdays during offensive and defensive meetings, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. He also ‘goes through a short full-speed session with the team’ on Thursdays but doesn’t kick again until game day after that.
On Wednesdays, Aubrey normally kicks inside Ford Center while the offensive and defensive players are in meetings. On Thursdays, he goes through a short full-speed session with the team. He won’t kick again until game day.
Aubrey’s new routine will involve one-on-one work with his special teams coordinator, John Fassel, after his jury duties are completed for the day.
But despite these changes, Aubrey appears ready to continue kicking for Dallas throughout the trial’s duration.
Do the Cowboys have a backup kicker?
The Cowboys do not have a backup kicker on their 53-man roster or practice squad as of Wednesday, Oct. 23. It isn’t clear whether Aubrey’s jury duty will prompt them to sign one, but as long as their kicker depth chart remains one-deep, no fan or fantasy football manager should be concerned about Aubrey missing any time.
