More is coming out of the Cowboys-Dak Prescott situation. Although no offer has been made and no deal is imminent, CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson supplies some information in line with the team’s recently expressed stance.
The Cowboys still want to complete an extension with Prescott this year, according to Anderson, who adds the team is not planning on letting the reigning MVP runner-up reach free agency. Some hurdles exist on the path toward a Prescott extension, but even though nothing is close presently, the Cowboys should still be considered more likely than not to aggressively pursue a third contract with their quarterback before the 2025 league year.
[RELATED: Cowboys, Dak Prescott Begin Extension Talks]
As he did during the first round of Prescott extension talks, Jerry Jones made a pitch for a team-friendly deal this week. Jones centered that short pitch on how a monster Dak re-up would affect the rest of the Cowboys’ roster, but while Patrick Mahomes has indeed sacrificed (in the form of a 10-year extension that goes through 2031), none of the QBs to agree on extensions since that July 2020 accord have followed his lead. While some upper-crust QBs did not hold out for player-friendly accords (Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford), the market is now beyond $50MM per year for high-end passers. Prescott’s age and production would have him in line for such a deal — perhaps close to $60MM per year — and he certainly has the ammo to land player-friendly terms again.
Entering the final season of a four-year, $160MM contract, Prescott cannot be franchise-tagged in 2025. A recent restructure only saved the Cowboys $4MM, still leaving Prescott with what would be a record-shattering cap number ($55.1MM). This is assuming the Browns restructure Deshaun Watson‘s deal, which calls for a $63.8MM hit this year. If Prescott leaves in free agency, the Cowboys would eat $40.1MM in dead money due to previous restructures that added void years through 2028.
Positional value also works in Prescott’s favor. Despite the Cowboys’ playoff stumbling blocks — which have been present since Super Bowl XXX — remaining during the Dak era, they employ a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback who bounced back in a big way last season. The 30-year-old QB led the NFL with 36 TD passes in 2023; he has piloted the league’s top-ranked scoring offense in two of the past three years. The Cowboys, who have Trey Lance on an expiring contract, would not have a good way to replace their oft-maligned signal-caller were he to follow Kirk Cousins‘ path as a twice-tagged player to leave in free agency.
Deadlines have been semi-effective for the Cowboys and Prescott. The team could not get its QB to agree to a deal at the July 2020 franchise tag extension deadline but was able to circle back on an extension — after three offseasons’ worth of negotiations — before a second tag could hit the team’s payroll in March 2021. March 2025 would become the next true deadline, but another big season and the threat of hitting the market would only increase Prescott’s leverage. A deal earlier — one that would allow the Cowboys more breathing room compared to this $55.1MM cap number — would be in the team’s best interests, effectively creating an earlier deadline here.
Nothing is imminent, but given the numbers in play here, the topic of a Prescott extension will remain a key offseason talking point — just as it was from 2019-21 — during this NFL offseason.
LOL “MVP runner up”… yeah ok. It was the affirmative action MVP year. Should have went to McCafferey and Purdy was the clear #2. These mediocre minority QBs being elevated by racist media is getting old. If the Cowboys want to contend, they are going to need a real QB.
As someone who has spent a lifetime laughing at the cowboys and their fans, please sign Dak to a crazy extension!
Lighten up, Francis.
Purdy had Kyle Shanahan, Trent Williams, and the best set of offensive weapons in football. Calling him the clear MVP among QBs appears to be you doing what you’re accusing others of and giving extra credit to the white guy.
Purdy is overrated. He is on a stacked team, with a great offensive minded HC. If Purdy doesn’t deliver this year he will be discarded. He will never get 40-50 million a year from SF unless he first wins a SB.
Dak is better then mediocre, and his race shouldn’t factor in to your assessment of his capabilities.
You’re both wrong. Purdy is very good, but slightly unproven as a game maker. Dak Prescott is better than mediocre, but he’s way overpriced. The only QB who could be worth this kind of money is Patrick Mahomes or maybe, maybe Josh Allen if he could clean up his turnovers.
Time for the Cowboys to bite the bullet and start over at QB. Prescott has priced himself out of the QB position. Attached to that salary, whatever team Dak plays on will eventually flop.
Excuse you, but me saying Purdy is overrated doesn’t imply I mean he is a bad QB but he is in an incredible situation. Its not like the kid is on CAR carrying them to the playoffs. He is good, I don’t consider him very good. He couldn’t beat the Chiefs in the big game, looks like another Jimmy G to me.
Dak is better then mediocre, but he isn’t worth the money. It doesn’t mean Jerry won’t offer him a deal. Jerry has a hard time letting some players go.
If they let Dak go they have to replace him, do you see the next Cowboys QB out there? I don’t. They win to many games to have a low draft pick. Do they address his replacement in this draft? Maybe. Do they wait to draft a guy next year? Does a rookie QB give DAL a better chance to win the SB? Dak may take a team friendly deal, just depends on what Dak wants to do.
I would pay Burrow before I would pay Josh Allen. But neither one has done enough to justify 50 million. Paying guys for what they could be is getting out of hand.
You’re hyper-focused on the racial background of QBs yet you’re accusing the media of being racist. Come on.
I’ve been a Cowboys fan since the 60’s. That said, if Jerry Jones and his henchmen extend Prescott I’ll be done with the team until there’s new ownership. I’m about done following Jerry’s fantasy team.
As a lifelong Cowboys fan myself, you should know by now nothing is going to change. The Joneses will never sell the team. Stephen is worse than Jerry. They are both Clowns. They don’t care about winning, just being in the headlines. They are happy the way things are.
You’d be better off rooting for another team.
They are buffoons and it’s sickening. They have no clue what they’re doing. They just make things up as they go, but they think they are the smartest ones in the room. Being a Cowboys and Mavs fan is funny. I wish they would reverse their roster building philosophies. The Mavs are the ones that need to develop their own players and the Cowboys are the ones who need to take free agency more seriously.
NFL clubs don’t listen to Dumb Sportsball Fans who brag about following 2, 3, or more different sportsball teams.
Lol so I bragging because I mentioned another team besides the one in the article? So when someone mentions something you automatically assume they’re bragging about it huh? Nice, I bet you’re fun to be around.
Citing an NBA team in the same breath as an NFL team is indicative of the Dumb Sportsball Fan.
I’m somewhat disappointed in this half hearted insult. Chucky neglected to bash you for being a reader of media tabloids…lol.
The Cowboys are the most valuable franchise in US professional sports. Don’t think they’ll miss you, buddy.
“Fantasy team” is a good word for it. Jones through the years has always been after the big name, the flashy guy, but the way I’ve described the last 30 years is that “the whole is less than the sum of its parts.” Its like they overlook the nuances, such as never thinking maybe this big name isn’t the best fit, this smaller name plays a perfect complement to a piece we already have and them together is much better than two big names. Sort of like how Al Davis was always obsessed with getting the super fast WR’s versus other glaring needs so he ends up always mediocre.
But if I’m Dak, I wouldn’t be satisfied with the same salary as Daniel Jones.
You root for the owner or the team? I dont even have a favorite player. I just root for the team.
I root for the Cowboys, but I also know the Joneses are Clowns who aren’t going anywhere. They cannot win a Super Bowl. They know that now. They’re alright with that. They care about money. They care about being in the news. They care about having the most valuable franchise in professional sports. Winning isn’t the most important thing any longer. It used to be, for Jerry at least. I hope every year they will luck into it. Puppet Coach after Puppet Coach after Puppet Coach, plus Being the only franchise in Professional Sports not to take advantage of free agency, clearly doesn’t get it done. Also, overpaying to keep players because you drafted them, even though they’ve never won anything of significance, isn’t a great way to run a sports team. And they never change.
As I said, hoping they luck into a Championship some season. Maybe it’ll happen at some point.
I’ll keep rooting for the Cowboys.
rapsheet – I root for one of their rival teams so there is some humor in Jones falling flat with his moves or the annual choke. (Hint: “that’s my quarterback” with the tears is probably my favorite NFL meme, even more so than “playoffs?” lol)
There just has to be something to it when the team can win 11 or 12 games most years but never advance past the divisional round. Its weather, its injuries, its the quarterback, its the coach…but it seems never to be Jerry.
Jerry’s getting up there in age. Does he have time to wade through a rebuild with a young upstart hot shot QB? Don’t think so. IMO, because of age, his best bet at winning another SB is staying the course with Dak. Will Jerry win another? Doubt it. From afar and without trying to be too judgemental, unfortunately for Dallas fans it looks like Jerry’s ego “muddies the waters” just enough for them to fall short of a SB victory.
“Cowboys Do Not Intend to Make the Super Bowl.”
There, fixed it.
IMHO I think the Cowboys FO is doing the right thing by allowing Dak to play out his final year of his contract to extend or not prior to the 2025 league year. Dak has been a NFL Starting Quarterback for 8 seasons and has a great record regular season record against sub 500 teams- but when it comes to teams that are very good- Dak regular season record is below substandard. And his playoff record is 2-5 [1-6 ats].
This situation can best be described as mutually assured destruction.
Let him see what the markets offers
$35 million sounds about right at the top end. Cousins type money. Neither of these guys are vintage Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. They are just pieces, who often fail in big games.