Entering Friday more than $16MM over the cap, the Cowboys have moved well under the 2023 salary ceiling. They restructured the contracts of Dak Prescott and Zack Martin, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com tweets.
These revisions cleared approximately $30MM in cap space for the Cowboys, who recently allocated $10.1MM to a Tony Pollard franchise tag. The conversion involved around $29MM of Prescott’s 2023 base salary shifting to a signing bonus, Todd Archer of ESPN.com tweets. This restructure will either bump up Prescott’s 2024 cap number or add more void years to his deal, but it will drop the quarterback’s 2023 cap figure from a historically high place. Prescott’s 2024 number now comes in at around $59MM, Archer tweets. That number will obviously be untenable for the team.
Prescott was set to carry a $49.13MM cap number this year. No player had previously played a season with a cap hit higher than $46MM, though Deshaun Watson is currently on track to do so. The Browns are considering restructuring their quarterback’s fully guaranteed deal, and Prescott’s restructure will only lead to more talk of another extension coming to pass.
Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones said a second Prescott extension is likely to happen. The Cowboys have Dak signed on his $40MM-per-year contract for two more seasons. Prior to Friday’s restructure, the QB was set to carry a $52.1MM cap hit in 2024. With that number venturing deeper into uncharted waters via today’s transaction, Prescott extension talk figures to accelerate. The parties are not believed to have entered discussions about a new deal, but Prescott said recently he looks forward to an extension “when that time comes.”
This restructure will increase Prescott’s leverage, as Dallas will be eager to reduce his 2024 cap number. Daniel Jones‘ $40MM-per-year deal and the potential re-ups for Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert — and whatever happens with Lamar Jackson this year — also will work in Prescott’s favor. When Prescott and the Cowboys negotiated up until the 2020 franchise tag extension deadline, a deal in the $35MM-AAV range was rumored. It ended up being pushed to $40MM ahead of the 2021 March tag deadline. Once Hurts, Burrow and Herbert sign, the next round of Prescott talks could center around a number beginning with a 5.
“I don’t want to dare do this to Dak or me or anybody,” Jerry Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill. “But I think just as [Tom] Brady became better and better and more impactful on how they won as he got into his career, I think that really [Dak] has those qualities. I think he can get better.”
Martin’s $14MM-per-year contract runs through 2024. The team is also in talks with Tyron Smith about a potential reworking, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com tweets. The team is trying to reduce Smith’s $17.6MM cap number. Attached to the NFL’s longest-running contract, Dallas’ left tackle is finally near the end of that eight-year pact. It expires after the 2023 season. Two void years are already on Smith’s contract, limiting the Cowboys’ options with their 12-year tackle. The team is trying to keep Smith in the fold for a 13th season.
Jerry using “Dak” and “Brady” in the same train of thought is statutory grounds for a vote of “Non-Confidence” to remove him from any operational decision. lol
Dak and Zeke’s contracts will cause the Cowboys to always be two good players short of being a real contender.
The cap can be manipulated. Your comment is what they want you to think but “cap hell” is a bunch of BS.
I don’t think it is right that football players are signed to huge number contracts and then when teams are up against the salary cap they can just “manipulate” (restructure) the contract to free up more cap space. (Dak Prescott)
There should only be one “signing bonus” for the term of the original contract….the one that is paid when that contract was signed.
I realize that some huge contracts can just be terminated and the player cut, to suit the needs of the team.
In baseball, the contract is guaranteed and teams must live with a terrible contract until the term of the contract expires. Otherwise the player could be traded for another “bad” contract from another team but they still have to pay the money owed on the original deal.
I know baseball does not have a salary cap but it would sure be nice if baseball could “restructure”
their bad contacts or even better….just be able to release or just cut said player when it is in the best interest of the team.
Football teams should not be permitted to operate as usual when the team is over the salary cap.
It will be interesting to see if Aaron Rogers is traded how his 2023 salary will be manipulated so the new team will fit his salary under the cap.
Sounds like a Dumb Sports Fan fixated on ESPN and talk radio.
There are more civil ways of disagreeing with people
The players wouldn’t agree to it. They love their money turned into a signing bonus while creating additional leverage.
Jerry aka I screwed this entire team up with my ego and overpaying but I am still the smartest GM in the NFL. JUST ASK ME
You forgot to call him Jerra
Why is Dallas continuing paying that kind of money to an average Quarterback. What has he done behind a good offense line? Nothing! Dak Prescott can’t win the Big Game!
Neither has Josh Allen. Are you paying him? Their stats since entering the league are comparable.