CeeDee Lamb got his wish for a new contract, but Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is still set to play the 2024 campaign on the final year of his deal. Neither side has showed much urgency in completing an extension, and owner Jerry Jones seemed to acknowledge that a new contract was unlikely to be completed before Prescott and the Cowboys take the field for Week 1.
“We don’t need to get this done before the season,” Jones told Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS last week. “We just don’t need to get it done before the season. Because it’s in all of our interest, Dak and everybody, to have a great season. And as a matter of fact, that’s probably not realistic to think before the season. But my thought sitting right here is we’ll have Dak [as Cowboys quarterback in 2025 and beyond]. But all I’m gonna say is this: it’s not done yet.”
Logically, the Cowboys wouldn’t have invested so much money in a wideout without a plan to retain their franchise quarterback. While the two extensions may be mutually exclusive for the front office, Lamb’s new deal will probably have little impact on Prescott’s stance, and it’s seeming increasingly likely that the QB will play out the 2024 season on his current pact. While there’s a bit of risk from the Cowboys’ perspective to let this play out, but Jones still expressed optimism that Prescott will remain under center for 2025 and beyond.
“I think I am. I am,” Jones said of his confidence about an eventual Prescott extension. “But I understand completely. I understand our challenge. But confident is not a word for me here. I feel that I think that we can do it. We have not figured it out yet.”
With Prescott likely pushing for an average annual value of at least $55MM (and potentially north of $60MM), the organization will likely have to tighten the belt elsewhere on the roster. Jones is already preparing for the fallout from a Prescott extension, and the owner seemed to warn fans that a lucrative QB deal would mean concessions elsewhere on the roster.
“I’m looking at having less supporting cast around him than he’s had any time in his career,” Jones said. “He’s going to have to make up for that and some because we haven’t gotten to the games we want to be playing in. … And he’s going to have to do it in the future with less of a supporting cast. That’s what I’m fighting for. … What kind of supporting cast can we have around Dak? I know you understand that. Do our fans? Do our fans know that Dak is going to have less of a supporting cast than his career has allowed him to have up until now.”
Prescott is currently set to earn $34MM in cash this upcoming season. The organization could look to reduce his $55.13MM with an impending extension, although that would likely kick even more money down the road. The Cowboys front office clearly has to juggle multiple considerations as they navigate negotiations, and it sounds like they may just be willing to play out the 2024 campaign before biting the bullet.
Less of a supporting cast than the team that can’t get past the first round of the playoffs? Cowboys fans need low expectations.
You have to be a fool to sign Dak for that much money! Let him go! Let Cooper Rush take the team until you can draft a decent QB! You have to find a way to get Micah his money!
They don’t need to extend him after the season either
Daniel Jones 2025
Dak unfortunately will be a Raider next year as the Cowboys will undoubtedly win just enough to be around the middle of the draft and just below what they need to draft a franchise QB, so it might take a couple years for the Cowboys to get back to contending again….my opinion
Unfortunately for thee raiders if that happens. Dak is a fine QB, but not a game changer.
It’s pretty obvious Jerry has no intention of signing Dak in 2024 for the money Dak is expecting. I see Dak playing elsewhere in 2025 unless he hoists a Super Bowl trophy this season. Only then Jerry will pay top dollar to keep him.
That worked for Joe Flacco w/ the Ravens. Dude got PAID after winning it all.
People can hate on Jerry Jones all they want, at least he’s not dumb enough to pay this clown $60m a year to lose.
The purchasing power of a dollar steadily decreases with the passage of time so Jerry gains nothing by playing the waiting game.
What a power move it would be if the cowboys start off 2-0 and he held out before the ravens game.
Jerry is playing this better than I would think he would. He won’t sign Dak because he doesn’t think he is worth the money. He will be able to tell the fans he tried but Dak wanted too much money. Dak should not sign because some team will pay him. Please baby Jesus don’t let it be Seattle. Not sure there will be more than a couple QBs coming out worth a 1st rnd pick. Sanders will be interesting but I pray to Baby Jesus we don’t trade up for him either. That is a whole other topic. Dak will get paid Jerry will surprisingly make the correct decision. I wish he would sign him for $60 mill for 5 years. Will handcuff them for years. Kind of like Watson and the Brownies.
Jerry is just going to pay top dollar anyway, so I guess he’s right that it doesn’t have to be done now.
The longer you wait the more you’re gonna pay.. I think Jerry knows he’s not going to resign him and hope Trey Lance develops this year. I mean Dak is a good regular season QB but chokes in the playoffs just like Tony Romo before him.
$40M Dead cap hit if they don’t extend him before the current contract voids.
Yes, those void years are a real problem for cap management. Void years put a team behind the 8-ball. Kicking the can further down the road by resigning Dak at $60 million/year won’t help though. It will mean three void years at the end of the new deal with at least $60 million of dead cap.
Better to bite the bullet in 2025, employ a rookie QB or a vet minimum QB (some can be interesting, look at Russell Wilson, almost any late career QB would be happy to showcase himself as starting QB for the Cowboys) for at least a single season.
If there’s a single bad season, it will net the pick necessary to grab a top QB. Or maybe the Cowboys will just sail through a 9-8 season and a wild card win and divisional exit without Prescott. They aren’t up to much more with him at the wheel. Prescott’s $60 million deal will gut the team. All the dancing around and threats to leave Dallas have certainly cost Prescott more in endorsements than he’d be leaving on the table in terms of salary, had he shown some commitment and team spirit.
Selfish guy who should be left to look out for himself, bleed another team.
I do see some poor contract/cap management by the Cowboys. Dak is in the driver seat on this one. They can’t tag him, so if he decides he has been slighted by the Cowboys organization, they are stuck with that $40M dead cap hit.
Despite the strong feelings for and against Dak, he will absolutely get a big deal from somewhere else next year, assuming he doesn’t get an Alex Smith level leg injury. Seattle, New Orleans, NYG, Raiders, Jets, Steelers could all be interested in 2025.
Of course Dak Prescott will be paid. Still I’d be surprised if anyone offers him more than $50 million year (and that’s overspending but desperation does that). On top of that, Prescott will never earn back the lost endorsement money. Prescott’s negotiation path is “you lose, I win”. The only answer is “no, you lose too”.