The Cowboys continue to drag out their complex contract situation, one headlined by Dak Prescott‘s contract-year status and enormous leverage. One of the issues believed to be factoring into the quarterback’s negotiations: when the contract’s escape hatch emerges, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. This would pertain to when guarantees vest. Considering Prescott’s built-in advantages stemming from no-trade and no-tag clauses, along with his lofty 2024 cap number and a $40.1MM void years-driven penalty that would go on Dallas’ cap if he reaches free agency, the ninth-year QB is undoubtedly pushing for most of this contract to be guaranteed. Rolling guarantees, which feature money locking in a year early, are also likely coming up during these talks. The Cowboys prefer five- or six-year deals, though they are not in good position to dictate term length or guarantee structure to their longtime passer.
As could be expected, a host of execs are critical of Jerry Jones for slow-playing this. Some are puzzled (via the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora) the Cowboys owner has lost this much leverage with Dak. The Cowboys are believed to be closer on terms with CeeDee Lamb, but one GM told La Canfora that Jones “totally screwed this up” re: Prescott. A $60MM-per-year contract, or something close to it with a player-friendly guarantee structure, will almost definitely be necessary for the Cowboys to keep Dak away from free agency come March.
Here is the latest QB news from around the league:
- Tua Tagovailoa‘s Dolphins deal features a rolling guarantee structure. The Miami QB’s $54MM 2026 base salary will shift from guaranteed for injury to fully guaranteed in 2025, Florio notes. Of Tua’s 2027 base salary ($31MM), $20MM is guaranteed for injury; $3MM of that total shifts to a full guarantee by 2026 before the remainder vests in 2027. A $5MM roster bonus is also due in 2027. Tagovailoa’s 2028 base ($41.4MM) is nonguaranteed. Miami has set up a potential 2027 escape hatch, though the southpaw starter would still collect more than $150MM from 2024-26 in the event the team moved on three years down the road. Two void years are included to spread out cap hits, the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin tweets.
- Mason Rudolph has displayed accuracy at Titans camp, to the point Titans.com’s Jim Wyatt notes Malik Willis has been unable to gain ground — even though he has looked more comfortable in Year 3 — in the battle for the QB2 job. In the team’s preseason opener, Rudolph came in first and went 10-for-17 for 126 yards. Willis entered midway through the third quarter, going 5-for-7 for 38 yards (but rushing for 42). The Titans gave Rudolph a one-year, $2.8MM deal with $2.7MM guaranteed. A 2022 third-rounder, Willis is tied to a $985K base salary. Cutting the erratic third-year QB would cost the Titans only $466K, and it is certainly worth noting neither this coaching staff nor GM Ran Carthon was in Nashville when Willis was drafted. The Titans are open to carrying three QBs, but will this staff continue to develop an inherited arm given Carthon’s Will Levis investment?
- NFL evaluators are split on Shedeur Sanders‘ stock for the 2025 draft. While ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid slots him as his No. 2 quarterback (behind Georgia’s Carson Beck) for the ’25 class — though, as a late-Round 1/early-Round 2 prospect — one NFL exec tabbed the Colorado QB as a Day 2 pick. Another evaluator labeled the returning Buffaloes passer as a first-rounder based largely on what is viewed as a weaker quarterback crop. Deion Sanders‘ influence on his son’s career is certainly not lost on execs, Reid adds, as the NFL legend/Colorado HC has already said he does see a cold-weather team as a fit (despite the duo’s current Boulder, Colo., location). Sanders’ impact on his son’s value has come up in NFL circles already and will likely remain a talking point moving forward.
Let him walk.
He’s a chocker
*choker.
I hope Seattle keeps away from Sanders. I could see his big mouthed pain in the butt dad bullying his way into whatever team picks him. Sanders could cover anyone but wouldn’t tackle anyone either. Only NFL player I have seen run out of bounds so he couldn’t make a tackle. Then the BS you can call me Coach Prime. Talking to a reporter older than him. Have some respect. Bo Jackson is a better person and FB and BB player. I take that back Dallas can draft him in the first round.
This is pretty funny, during such a time the game was alot more physical it’s funny how almost no one ever recalls that side of Sanders. He was a great coverage DB, but good lord was he afraid of getting hit.
How do you get to walk around as Billy Bada$$ now, when back then you would make a b-line directly to the sideline just to avoid contact…lol
It’s pretty funny…
He was the best non physical non tackling CB ever. I would much rather have a Lester Hayes. Thats just me though
What game did you people watch? Deon was very physical at the line and jam receivers. Physical tackling isn’t a CB’s job. There is a reason he’s considered the GOAT though since you couldn’t throw on him. Not only couldn’t you throw on him, but he might just take your pass back to the house.
Lester Hayes was the most physical CB I have ever seen. He should be in the HOF. Hayes was physical. Hayes was known for that.
The word physical and Deion never went together. Deion was not physical. He would avoid the physical parts of the game at all costs.
That’s a narrative because he didn’t go running in to tackle bigger RBs and stuff, i.e. he wasn’t a dummy. Ask receivers of that era about his physicality at the line handling them and pushing them off their route. I really do think some of you just listen to what people tell you and regurgitate it. He would jam the s*** out of receivers and disrupt their patterns. How else do you think he was a great coverage CB regardless of pass rush. Because according to this mythical definition, he like every other CB would have to cover and anticipate every QBs move forever and a day, and that wasn’t always the case, especially in the Atlanta years when they had absolutely no pass rush whatsoever but he still was shutting down the likes of Jerry Rice and other great receivers.
I really think some people are watching a player with their “fan goggles ” on and that’s ok. But in all reality I watched Deion play many times, in fact live a few times too when he was with SF and he was NOT physical whatsoever. I like physical CBs just as I like WRs who actually can run block (such as Larry Fitz)
Football is a physical game that requires tackling and what is “dumb” is a player who is playing the game of football that’ does not want to tackle. Thats like playing baseball but not wanting to swing the bat.
But now “Coach prime” is talking all this physicality etc when he wasn’t that type of player. It’s really laughable. Antonio Pierce can preach that because he was physical. Deion was not, regardless of what definition you want to throw out there. Everyone knows football is physical and all about physicality.
I dont think Deion was “smart” because he avoided contact. I think he thought he was too good for contact. “not his job” mentality. Thats not the kind of football player I want. Give me a Lester Hayes or even a Pat Tillman. Someone who played football because they were football players.
Oh and look up some of Jerry’s games v Sanders. One game I remember Rice had over 200 yards relieving and 5 TDs. Not really shut down CB there.Maybe if he was more “physical” Rice wouldn’t have had 5 TDs in one game against him.
I can see his Dad being like the little league parent. Telling coach what to do and your not using my kid right.
I doubt the Titans will be competing for anything of relevance in the immediate future so they have some time to sort out their QB situation.