HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

49ers LB Dre Greenlaw Unlikely To Be Ready For Week 1

March 27th, 2024 at 10:33am CST by Sam Robinson

Dealt a strange blow when Dre Greenlaw suffered an Achilles tear while trotting onto the field during Super Bowl LVIII’s first half, the 49ers attempted multiple insurance measures. The Eric Kendricks plan did not pan out, leading De’Vondre Campbell to San Francisco.

The eight-year veteran will be set to team with Fred Warner in the event Greenlaw’s rehab does not have him ready to play by Week 1. Although Greenlaw underwent surgery shortly after the Super Bowl, the recent LB pursuit would suggest the 49ers are concerned the longtime Warner sidekick will not be ready in time to start the season.

John Lynch said at this week’s owners meetings (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco) Greenlaw is aiming to be back on time, but the eighth-year GM indicated this also may lead to a situation in which the reserve/PUP list is needed.

Greenlaw will almost definitely begin training camp on the active/PUP list, but a shift to the reserve/PUP list would sideline him for at least four games. Early October would represent a near-eight-month recovery timetable. While some players have beaten that — including ex-49ers wideout Michael Crabtree back in 2013 — caution would make sense on the 49ers’ part.

Kendricks backed out of a 49ers agreement to sign with the Cowboys. The longtime Vikings linebacker reunited with new Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer, but the 49ers offered him a better deal than the one-year, $3MM ($2.5MM guaranteed) contract he inked with Dallas. Kendricks said the 49ers wanted him to start the season in Greenlaw’s place, a three-down role, before likely moving to a part-time gig once the regular starter came back. Campbell signed a one-year, $5MM contract ($4.56MM guaranteed) soon after Kendricks backtracked.

“I didn’t want to be in a situation where I was playing in a position all year and then had to potentially switch to another position — rotating in and out,” Kendricks said on the Bussin’ With Boys podcast (via the San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch). “I wanted to be on the field. I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to make an impact, and that’s why, ultimately, I had to make a change for myself.”

Kendricks joined a team with a greater need for a full-time linebacker, as Greenlaw should be expected to return at some point during the season’s first half. Crabtree went down in late May 2013 and returned in early December. The 49ers could opt to leave Greenlaw off the PUP list and go week to week, but their Kendricks communications suggest a Warner-Campbell setup at linebacker to start the year. Greenlaw is going into his age-27 season. Greenlaw’s two-year, $16.4MM contract expires after the 2024 slate, raising the stakes for the former fifth-round pick to recover and play well this season.

Broncos Planning To Add Veteran QB

March 27th, 2024 at 9:36am CST by Sam Robinson

A recent report suggested the Broncos would be content with Jarrett Stidham going into Week 1 as the starting quarterback. While that would probably be an unappealing plan for much of the Denver fanbase, the team stood pat as other QB-needy clubs at least added bridge-level options in free agency.

The Broncos did show interest in Sam Darnold, though they are not believed to have made an offer. The Darnold pursuit did provide an indication Sean Payton‘s team wanted to at least give Stidham, who has made four starts over a five-year career, some competition. That could well come via the draft, as the Broncos will need a long-term answer at a lower rate due to the fallout from the Russell Wilson misstep. But the team is also planning to add a veteran arm as well.

“We’re still in the quarterback market,” Broncos GM George Paton said, via the Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel. “We like ‘Stiddy,’ but we’re going to add. We’re not panicked. We won’t play games for a while. We feel like we’ll add a veteran and we’ll see about the draft.”

Paton said a trade will be an option to add at the position. The Eagles (Kenny Pickett), Cardinals (Desmond Ridder) and Seahawks (Sam Howell) added 2022 QB draftees — all as backup options — via trade this month, while Mac Jones is now Trevor Lawrence‘s Jaguars backup. Most of the bridge-type QBs or high-end backups are off the board. Darnold (Vikings), Jacoby Brissett (Patriots), Marcus Mariota (Commanders), Jimmy Garoppolo (Rams) and Gardner Minshew (Raiders) are out of the mix. This leaves the Broncos short on options.

Denver, which is eating $85MM in dead money over the next two years after cutting Wilson, has options in Ryan Tannehill or Carson Wentz as free agents. The Jets also are still attempting to unload Zach Wilson, and offers are believed to have come in. Wilson’s three-year showing would certainly make him a polarizing option in Denver, even considering his No. 2 overall draft pedigree. The second overall choice five years earlier, Wentz is now 31 and spent much of last year in free agency before closing out the campaign with the Rams. Tannehill saw his five-year Titans run conclude with a midseason benching, as Will Levis took over. The 2012 first-rounder is going into his age-36 season.

The Broncos hold the No. 12 overall pick, and the state of their depth chart will tie them to QBs during the pre-draft process. Team brass already met with J.J. McCarthy during a “30” visit, and NBC Sports’ Dan Patrick said Wednesday morning (video link) Payton’s interest in the Michigan prospect should be monitored. McCarthy’s stock has skyrocketed since the Wolverines’ national championship, with the Commanders now being mentioned as a candidate to take him at No. 2 overall. Even if that proves a bridge too far, the Broncos would need to trade up — to outflank a suddenly better-prepared Vikings team, if nothing else — to land the ex-Jim Harbaugh pupil.

With Payton now 60, it would be somewhat difficult to envision the Broncos going with Stidham and tabling a QB draft investment to 2025. But the team has traded three first-round picks over the previous two years, using the draft capital to acquire Wilson and Payton. If the Broncos are to land one of this draft’s top non-Caleb Williams arms, they will need to be prepared to part with a future first-rounder and more.

It will be interesting to see if the team’s recent trade past impacts how it proceeds in Round 1, as Stidham and a to-be-determined veteran will be on the depth chart before Week 1.

Rams’ Aaron Donald Announces Retirement

March 27th, 2024 at 8:45am CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 27: Details of a Donald restructure surfaced shortly before the all-time great’s retirement announcement. Information about how much dead money the Rams will eat has since emerged.

Due to void years proration, the Rams will eat approximately $24MM in dead money this year and $9MM in 2025, per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue. The Rams did not exercise Donald’s 2024 option bonus, but the void years utilized — as was the case on the Buccaneers’ payroll when Tom Brady retired — will create considerable dead money.

MARCH 15: Aaron Donald threatened retirement two years ago, leading to a monster contract. The superstar defender played two seasons on that deal. Despite the second of those producing yet another first-team All-Pro honor, the all-time great announced Friday he will walk away from the game.

The Rams icon confirmed he is retiring after 10 seasons. This bombshell announcement will certainly wound the Rams’ defense, as Donald is among the greatest defenders in NFL history. The 10-year veteran will step away from football at just 32.

While this comes as a surprise, Donald has accomplished just about everything he could in the NFL. The 2014 first-round pick stampeded to Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, matched Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only three-time Defensive Player of the Year honorees and led the way in the Rams winning Super Bowl LVI. Donald’s 2023 rebound from a high ankle sprain produced his eighth first-team All-Pro honor, tying Reggie White and Bruce Smith for the most by a D-lineman in NFL history.

A year after his retirement threat produced a three-year, $95MM raise — an unprecedented move considering three years remained on the extension Donald signed in 2018 — the Pittsburgh alum said he was not considering retirement in 2023. But Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager notes this announcement does not come as a shock to the Rams’ coaches and front office staff. One season remained on Donald’s contract, which he restructured recently.

It is certainly arguable Donald is the greatest defensive tackle in NFL history. Offensive linemen did not enjoy the freedom they do now when tasked with blocking the likes of Joe Greene, Merlin Olsen and Alan Page, though those All-Century-teamers are firmly in the conversation. And rule changes have given offenses advantages they did not have in past eras. Donald reached unrivaled heights in a 10-year career; as injuries slowed Watt’s historic surge, Donald had no peer among modern D-linemen.

“The great players in our league elevate the people around them and Aaron has modeled the way for our team as long as I’ve been with the Rams,” head coach Sean McVay said. “He’s an elite competitor, someone who leads by example in a way that’s authentic to him, and an exceptional teammate who inspires everyone around him to be the best version of themselves.”

The lightning-quick DT will retire with 111 career sacks and 176 tackles for loss. The 2014 first-rounder only sustained one notable injury as a pro — the 2022 ankle ailment; otherwise, his dominance lasted uninterrupted for a decade. Donald collected Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2017, 2018 and 2020, being the best player on two Rams Super Bowl teams and leading the way in preserving the franchise’s first Los Angeles-based title since 1951. Donald sacked Joe Burrow twice in Super Bowl LVI, and his fourth-down pressure cemented the team’s first Super Bowl win in 22 years.

Standing just 6-foot-1, Donald lasted until the No. 13 pick in 2014. The Les Snead-Jeff Fisher regime nabbed him there during the Rams’ penultimate year in St. Louis. Donald did not begin his career as a starter, but it became quickly apparent what kind of player the team had acquired. Donald moved into the St. Louis starting lineup in Week 5, never looking back.

Prior to 2022, Donald’s only previous absences came due to a 2017 holdout. Seeking an extension before his fourth season, the Pittsburgh native skipped training camp and sat out Week 1. Donald did report without an extension, with the Rams waiving his fines (when that was allowed under the 2011 CBA), but scored a record-setting payday a year later. Soon after the Bears extended Khalil Mack, the Rams gave Donald a six-year, $135MM extension with $50MM guaranteed at signing. Donald remained the top D-line earner throughout that contract, but after edge rushers began to surpass his deal by a notable margin, the 2022 retirement threat emerged.

Donald retirement noise stopped via the Rams contract agreement that June, but he had gone so far as to send the team a retirement letter that offseason. Before Donald’s 2022 contract came to pass, Rams brass had discussed how they would celebrate the unrivaled DT if he did step away. Those conversations will need to be revisited, as few players will have ever required a shorter Hall of Fame argument when that time comes. Donald will join Jason Kelce as Canton-bound players to retire this year. Donald made $171MM over his career.

Coming back from the ankle malady, Donald played in 17 games and notched eight sacks and 23 QB hits. Illustrating what the Rams are losing, ESPN’s pass rush win rate metric slotted Donald first among D-tackles; Pro Football Focus graded him as the second-best interior D-lineman. While Chris Jones has produced better pass-rushing numbers over the past two years, the Chiefs standout — who used Donald’s framework to craft a contract bringing a staggering $95.3MM in practical guarantees — his two first-team All-Pros are six off Donald’s pace. Donald ripped off seven straight such honors from 2015-21, peaking with a 20.5-sack season in 2018. The Rams booked a Super Bowl LIII berth that year.

In 2022, the Rams also rewarded Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp with extensions. Their 2023 offseason brought skepticism about playoff chances, with the exits of several Super Bowl LVI starters — including Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd — leaving Donald to join a host of unproven defenders. Multiple rookies stepped up, but Donald’s presence has aided numerous players — including Floyd and Von Miller during their stopovers — over the course of his career. As DC Chris Shula takes over, Los Angeles will have a tall order filling its defensive centerpiece’s shoes.

NFL Owners Approve Kickoff Proposal

March 26th, 2024 at 10:24pm CST by Adam La Rose

During the final day of the annual league meetings, NFL owners ratified the proposed changes to kickoffs, as first reported by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. The new setup will be used for the 2024 season before being re-assessed, SI’s Albert Breer adds.

The proposal set to be reviewed by the league’s Competition Committee and later all owners was finalized last week. While it was not termed to be an ‘XFL-style’ setup, the proposed alignment essentially mirrored that which the spring league used in recent seasons. The Competition Committee unanimously approved the proposal (with a slight tweak to touchbacks in one instance), setting up today’s final vote.

As Mark Maske of the Washington Post notes, though, questions remained regarding whether or not owners would vote during the March meetings or delay a decision until May. Further lobbying from those in support of ratification was believed to be needed overnight, with The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler reporting five additional ‘yes’ votes would be required to achieve success. In the end, the final tally was 29-3, per Jones.

All rule changes require 24 votes to pass, so support for the ‘hybrid’ kickoff setup was more than strong enough to attain ratification. As Jones notes, the three ‘no’ votes came from the Packers, Raiders and 49ers. Several coaches and special teams coordinators have voiced trepidation over the substantial alteration which will now take effect, though, which comes as little surprise given the sweeping nature of the changes. 2024 will be marked in large part by the success (or lack thereof) of the new setup in increasing return rates while also reducing the high-speed collisions which make kick returns the most dangerous play in the game.

The new rules – summarized effectively ahead of the vote by ESPN’s Jeff Darlington (video link) – had the backing of commissioner Roger Goodell. The 2023 campaign (during which fair catches for kickoffs were introduced) saw a continuation of the downward trend of returns, punctuated by the first ever Super Bowl in which every kickoff resulted in a touchback. A substantial change should be expected for next season.

As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert notes, NFL return rates dropped to a record-low 21.7% last year. The XFL, by contrast, had a rate over 90% with its setup over the two-year run which preceded its merger with the USFL. Seifert adds the NFL special teams coordinators who crafted the proposal are aiming for a return rate of at least 80% in 2024. Reaching or even approaching that figure would result in a notable spike in special teams action compared to recent years.

NFL Pushes Trade Deadline Back One Week

March 26th, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Adam La Rose

The NFL’s trade deadline will be pushed back one week in 2024. The league announced on Tuesday that this year’s deadline will fall on the Tuesday following Week 9 (November 5).

The deadline had been one week earlier in previous years, and a December report indicated a change was unlikely. However, the Browns and other teams proposed pushing it back two weeks to accommodate the expansion of the regular season to 17 games (and the hypothetical move to an 18-game slate in the future). Little support seemed to emerge for that plan.

[RELATED: NFL Tweaks IR-Return Setup For Playoffs]

A compromise in the form of delaying the deadline by one week emerged, although debate continued over whether any change was necessary. Given today’s news, though, enough opinions were swayed to approve the middle ground solution. Any rule changes require the support of at least 24 of the NFL’s 32 owners to attain ratification.

The NFL’s trade deadline will remain much earlier in the season than its ‘Big Four’ (NBA, MLB, NHL) counterparts, with resistance to delays stemming from concerns about tanking. Indeed, the later in the campaign the deadline is pushed, the clearer the separation between buyers and sellers. Maintaining competitive balance as deep into the season as possible is a reasonable goal on the part of the league.

Still, trades have increased in recent years with teams becoming more willing to move on from expiring contracts on one hand and to acquire rentals for a late-season push on the other. One key element on that front is the fact acquiring teams only need to take on the remaining base salaries in a player’s contract when an in-season deal is worked out; pushing back the time at which deadline deals take place will make it easier for contenders to absorb lucrative pacts.

Each of the past five seasons have seen a minimum of 12 in-season trades take place as teams become increasingly open to player- and pick-swaps in the fall. 22 teams were involved in deals during both the 2022 and ’23 campaigns, with a wide range of buyers and sellers existing. That figure will no doubt continue (or increase) for 2024 with a slightly later deadline in place.

Steelers To Sign Cordarrelle Patterson

March 26th, 2024 at 10:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Cordarrelle Patterson has been a dominant return specialist during the period in which that job decreased in importance. As the NFL prepares to revive this play, the Steelers are bringing in a perennial All-Pro.

Pittsburgh is signing Patterson to a two-year deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. This will reunite the versatile performer with Arthur Smith, who was at the controls when Patterson shifted to running back in Atlanta.

[RELATED: Owners Approve Kickoff Change]

The NFL moved its kickoff line from the 30-yard line back to the 35 — its location until 1994 — in 2011. This did not stop Patterson from impacting games in the years that followed. The 2013 first-round pick was never able to catch on as a wide receiver, but he has been this NFL period’s premier kick returner and one of the greatest in NFL history. Not dabbling much in the punt-return game, Patterson has racked up four first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner. He has the most kick-return touchdowns (nine) in NFL history.

While Patterson’s return accomplishments are well known, he made a decent impact at a new position under Smith in Atlanta. The Falcons moved the former wide receiver to running back in 2021, making him their starter despite being at an age when running backs struggle to gain employment. Patterson became a running back at 30 and functioned as a regular for the Falcons at that post in 2021 and ’22.

The ex-Vikings top pick racked up 1,166 scrimmage yards in 2021, helping a team that had traded Julio Jones and saw Calvin Ridley leave early in the season due to mental health reasons. Despite Patterson being north of 30 at the time, the Falcons then gave him a two-year, $10.5MM deal. The 2022 arrival of Tyler Allgeier minimized Patterson’s backfield role, but he still gained a career-high 695 rushing yards despite missing four games that season. The Falcons ranked third in rushing that year. However, Bijan Robinson‘s 2023 arrival slowed the Patterson-at-RB experiment; he logged 50 carries last season.

Patterson, who turned 33 earlier this month, does not appear to have a clear path to a running back role in Pittsburgh. The team has Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren on rookie contracts. That said, Smith coached the veteran playmaker for three seasons; gadget plays could certainly be in the offing. Though, the Steelers will obviously be set to put Patterson to work on special teams.

Overall, the Tennessee alum has six All-Pro honors (two second-team nods) on his resume. Earning first-team acclaim in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2020, Patterson has returned a kickoff for a score in seven separate seasons. Only one such jaunt came in Atlanta — as the others occurred while Patterson was with the Vikings, Patriots and Bears — but that 2022 TD broke Josh Cribbs and Leon Washington‘s NFL record. The extended production earned the 220-pound talent an All-Decade honor. He will soon get to work for a fifth NFL team.

Ravens Rumors: OLBs, Mitchell, Dobbins

March 26th, 2024 at 9:57pm CST by Ely Allen

The Ravens defense saw a number of surprise contributors in 2023. From backup safety Geno Stone leading the AFC in interceptions to Justin Madubuike, Jadeveon Clowney, and Kyle Van Noy exploding to help the team lead the NFL in sacks, Baltimore excelled thanks to contributions from players other than All-Pros like Roquan Smith, Kyle Hamilton, and Patrick Queen.

All four of the surprise contributors mentioned above had expiring contracts when the Ravens fell short of their Super Bowl aspirations. Madubuike received the franchise tag before ultimately signing a massive four-year, $98MM extension after his 13.0 sack-season. Stone earned a nice deal of his own, branching out to the division-rival Bengals as he searched for an opportunity to start full-time, instead of sharing the stage with Hamilton and Marcus Williams.

Clowney and Van Noy, on the other hand, remain free agents on the open market. Clowney saw a bounce-back season following a disappointing exit from Cleveland. Despite joining the roster in the middle of the preseason, Clowney would start 15 games for the Ravens, matching his career-high in sacks (9.5) while tallying nine tackles for loss, 19 quarterback hits, five passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. Despite early reports that both sides were interested in a new deal, the Panthers and Jets have swept in as teams with massive interest in signing Clowney.

Van Noy exploded for the rare career-year at 32 years old. Despite only starting three games as a rotation player, Van Noy finished third on the team with a career-high nine sacks. Van Noy hasn’t been nearly as active in free agency visits, but his stellar 2023 season all but ensures that he will earn at least one more NFL contract.

Head coach John Harbaugh recently claimed to be optimistic about the prospects of bringing one or both of Clowney and/or Van Noy back in 2024, according to Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. If they aren’t able to do so, though, the Ravens continue to have faith in former first-round pick Odafe Oweh and former second-round pick David Ojabo. According to Harbaugh, Ojabo, who has only appeared in five games over his first two seasons, is healthy. The long-time head coach predicted a breakout season for the 23-year-old in 2024.

Here are a few other rumors coming out of Baltimore, where our thoughts and condolences are after the tragic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge:

  • The Ravens certainly lost a massive offensive chess piece when J.K. Dobbins suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in Baltimore’s season opener. Their losses compounded late in the season when, in the midst of a run towards the No. 1 seed in the AFC, Keaton Mitchell, an explosive undrafted rookie who was helping to replace Dobbins’ lost production, suffered an ACL tear in Week 15. General manager Eric DeCosta spoke on his recovery recently, saying that the team feels Mitchell is on track “to come back this season,” per ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
  • Speaking of Dobbins, though he’s not currently a Raven after the team allowed his rookie contract to expire, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network informs us that the 25-year-old rusher has been cleared for football activities. His surgeon, Dr. Neal ElAttrache, said in a letter to select teams today that Dobbins looks “outstanding” coming off his torn Achilles. Dobbins is expected to begin taking visits soon, though the Ravens have not been mentioned much as a candidate to land his continued services.

NFL Allows Unlimited Promotions For Practice Squad QBs

March 26th, 2024 at 8:30pm CST by Ely Allen

Among changes adjusting the rules for hip-drop tackles and kickoff procedures, the NFL has reportedly made a rule change that pertains to emergency quarterbacks. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, the league “will now allow teams to promote a practice squad QB to the active roster for gamedays as an emergency third QB an unlimited amount of times during a season.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced frequent, temporary absences on rosters all across the NFL, the league passed a rule allowing each team two practice squad elevations per week. The two players would join the active roster for that week’s contest then revert back to the practice squad, negating the need to sign each player to a 53-man contract, release them after each game, then re-sign them to the practice squad.

Each practice squad player was able to be elevated up to three times in a single contract. A team could work around that rule by signing a player to the active roster for a fourth game, then releasing them (often subjecting younger players to the waiver wire) and re-signing them to a new practice squad contract that would allow for another three promotions.

Last year, the NFL passed a rule that would allow a team to dress a third, emergency quarterback to the active roster for each game, one more than previously allowed on the active roster. This was a result of games like the 2022 NFC Championship game, in which the 49ers saw both their dressed quarterbacks, Brock Purdy and Josh Johnson, suffer injuries. In order to utilize the new rule, though, teams had to stash this third quarterback as a member of their 53-man roster, taking up a valuable active roster spot.

It was the Bills, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports, who proposed a slight adjustment to the emergency quarterback rule, suggesting that teams have a third practice squad elevation each week solely dedicated to elevating a practice squad passer into the emergency role. The competition committee didn’t accept Buffalo’s proposal, but it did decide to pass its own version.

The committee’s version of the new rule will require the emergency quarterback to be one of the two weekly elevations. That said, it will allow quarterbacks to be immune from the three-game limitation set on other players, allowing them to be elevated an unlimited number of times. The committee also added the stipulation that, should an injured quarterback be cleared to return, the emergency quarterback put in play to replace them must leave the game.

This obviously offers a major benefit to general managers who can return to the standard of keeping only two passers on the active roster, allowing them to replace that roster spot with a non-QB player. This new strategy does come with a potential risk, though. Keeping your emergency quarterback on the practice squad allows any other team in the league to sign them directly to their active roster from your practice squad. It will be interesting to see how many teams take this option and how many avoid the above-mentioned risk by keeping three quarterbacks on the active roster.

No Extension In Sight For Cowboys, Dak Prescott

March 26th, 2024 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

5:54pm: The Cowboys are not closing the door on a Prescott extension, per Nick Harris of the team’s website. The team would not shut down talks during the season, though it remains to be seen if Prescott would do so. Nothing is on the team’s immediate radar, and past negotiations have produced deadline failures (2020) and successes (2021). This will obviously be a central storyline in the offseason months to come.

12:47pm: The last time the Cowboys and Dak Prescott engaged in extension talks, the process covered nearly two full offseasons and dragged into mid-March of a third. Long expected to take place this year, Prescott’s second round of negotiations are not yet off the ground.

Dallas restructured its ninth-year quarterback’s contract recently, dropping his cap number from $59MM to $55.5MM. The new number would still smash an NFL record, as no player has gone into a season with a cap number higher than $45MM. An extension would be the easiest way for the Cowboys to reduce that figure now, but no deal is imminent.

The sides have reached an understanding regarding this situation, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who notes the Cowboys have not made an offer. Although extension talks began recently, the team does not appear the team is planning to submit one anytime soon.

Prescott’s contract expires after the 2024 season, and with the Cowboys not being able to use the franchise tag on their QB in 2025, free agency (and a big dead money bill) would stand to enter this equation if the former Offensive Rookie of the Year is unsigned. As of now, that prospect seems closer to reality than it once did.

The 30-year-old QB is no stranger to playing on expiring contracts. He played out his rookie deal in 2019 and played the 2020 season on the franchise tag. Despite suffering a season-ending ankle injury that year, the standout passer scored player-friendly terms from a Cowboys team that prefers longer-running extensions. Prescott signed a four-year, $160MM deal just before the Cowboys would have had to tag him a second time to prevent a 2021 free agency exit.

That deal wrapped a lengthy saga, which had begun when the QB became extension-eligible in 2019, but set the stage for another battle. As part of that 2021 extension, the Cowboys procedurally tagged Prescott; this took a 2025 tag off the table.

Jerry Jones would prefer his QB accept a team-friendlier contract this time around. This topic came up during Dallas’ previous Prescott talks, but the team eventually caved to its signal-caller’s demands. Prescott’s price steadily climbed before reaching that $40MM-AAV point. With the market now well beyond $50MM per year, Prescott has the leverage to command a deal in that neighborhood — perhaps a record-setting accord.

“As you address a player like Dak, you take away from his supporting cast,” Jones said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill. “That’s not a sales job. Everybody realizes, if you get the bucks, someone else who can help you win doesn’t. That’s factual.”

Painting Prescott to be on the greedy side certainly could be a negotiating tactic on Jones’ part, as Patrick Mahomes‘ 10-year extension has benefited the Chiefs. But other QBs have not followed Mahomes’ lead. And the Cowboys will be battling uphill if they push this process toward the season. The Browns have not yet restructured Deshaun Watson‘s deal a second time; his fully guaranteed contract has the team set to carry a record-shattering $63.9MM cap number otherwise. If the deal is restructured, Prescott’s cap number would top the league. But the AFC North team did restructure its QB’s deal last year. Watson is also signed through 2026. Like Kirk Cousins, tagged twice in Washington, Prescott would have a clear path to free agency if no extension came about.

The Vikings are eating $28.5MM in dead cap this year; because of the recent restructure, the Cowboys would take on $40.5MM in dead money if they cannot extend Prescott before the 2025 league year. Due to his age and accomplishments, Prescott would stand to far outdo Cousins on the open market. The prospect of finding a suitable replacement also a rather notable part of this equation.

The Cowboys acquired Trey Lance via trade last year, but the ex-49ers No. 3 overall pick’s contract expires after this coming season. Again armed with a quality roster, Prescott will — barring injury — likely have Dallas in playoff contention, which would not give the team favorable draft real estate in 2025. While it would be easier to extend CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons with Prescott out of the picture, his 2025 dead money would make it more difficult to carry a top-market Lamb contract and a Parsons fifth-year option on the books next year.

While it would certainly be noteworthy if the Cowboys were serious about letting Prescott play out his contract, the leverage being skewed toward the QB make it premature to indicate Dallas is done negotiating.

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