Why will it be nearly impossible for Jerry Jones to keep Dak Prescott next year with the Cowboys?
Since the start of the season, Cowboys fans wanted to see fresh faces and contract extensions of the key players however they witnessed neither of the two which could result in future exits.
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Dak Prescott (Image via IMAGO)
In the last few days, the Dallas Cowboys finally started to show some urgency about their pending contract negotiations with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. The two players who were key to their success last season.
However, the onus is currently fixated on Lamb over Prescott, which begs the question: why? The Cowboys want to settle the All-Pro receivers deal quickly because, without it, he will not show up for the training camp or, worse, ask for a trade.
At this point, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose their No. 1 target man when there’s barely any suitable replacement left on the market. Besides, the wideout market reached new heights after the Vikings agreed to pay $35 million to Justin Jefferson annually, whom they had plans to trade.
So, why the dillydallying from Jerry Jones? The Cowboys owner promised to go all in and make quality signings in the offense, but the offseason and the draft came and went with no significant additions.
While it created much resentment among the Cowboys fans, many perceived Jones as trying to save money for Prescott and Lamb’s deal. When the media asked the 30-year-old QB about his expectations for an extension, he revealed letting his agent handle the situation.
Recently, Stephen Jones hinted at trying their best to keep all the players around Prescott to give him possibly the opportunity to have the best season of his career. If he pulls it off, then the Cowboys will be compelled to give him a new deal; otherwise, the 3-time pro bowler has to try his luck in free agency, and as Hall of Famer Charles Haley said, teams would be lining up to sign him.
What happens if Dak Prescott doesn’t sign a new deal with the Dallas Cowboys?
The current market value skyrocketed after Joe Burrow’s $50 million annual deal and is more than likely to rise even further. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Prescott will have a $55 million cap hit in 2025, and if the Cowboys don’t pay him before March 12, then he will at least count $40.47 million against the cap.
Jerry Jones has made it clear that the Cowboys can shoulder the financial ramifications. The NFL increasing the salary cap to $255.4 million earlier this year helped a lot. If they seriously want to continue with Prescott, then it’s better to sign him before the March deadline, and even then, their cap number will be $25 million.
Prescott has all the leverage in his hands. After facing two franchise tags, he finally received a four-year, $160 million deal, and as a bonus, the Cowboys inserted a no-future franchise tag clause. So he is free to wait it out and focus on his performance.
That’s precisely why the Cowboys opted to extend Lamb’s deal ahead of anyone else. Now he is not the only one. Edge rusher Micah Parsons’ contract runs out in 2025 as well, but similar to Prescott, his focus is winning silverware for now.
Everything rests in the hands of Dak Prescott, who finished runner-up to Lamar Jackson in the NFL MVP voting. He led the NFL in touchdown passes with 36, threw for 4,516 yards, and had the second-best completion percentage of 69.5, better than Brock Purdy with 69.4%, who played in the Super Bowl with the 49ers.
If eyeballing was a criterion, then anyone would agree that Dak Prescott is a top-class regular-season quarterback. It’s the playoffs where he struggles the most. He only has 2 wins from 7 games in the postseason, a record not indicative of regular-season prowess.
The Cowboys have the option of letting him leave because of Trey Lance. After signing him from the 49ers last season, the former first-round pick immersed himself in learning the playbook.
Additionally, 2024 might prove to be the final year for head coach Mike McCarthy as well. McCarthy is rumored to be on the hot seat even though he led the team to consecutive 12-5 finishes. Failing to match or better the previous seasons would undeniably be the end of his tenure.
With Bill Belichick still waiting for a job, Jones might lean toward the 8 time Super Bowl-winning coach. It will be presumptuous to guess what Belichick will do once he walks in, but one thing is for sure: there will be personnel changes.
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Ishan Misra
(3023 Articles Published)