Dak Prescott

Jerry Jones Addresses Dak Prescott’s Deal

September 8th, 2024 at 10:03pm CST by Ely Allen

The Cowboys were one of few teams to experience two big wins today: their win over the Browns in Cleveland and the signing of their star quarterback to the highest salary in NFL history. Both were a long time in the works, but Dak Prescott‘s new contract is perhaps the more gratifying of today’s victories because of the wait.

Prescott’s extension, which includes $231MM in guaranteed money, an $80MM signing bonus, and a $60MM annual average, was the result of several months of negotiations. In that time, Cowboys fans frustratingly watched quarterbacks with arguably lesser accomplishments, like Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love, become the highest-paid players in the NFL. The frustration wasn’t that players they deemed lesser were getting big contracts, it was that with every big quarterback contract that got signed, the price tag for Prescott kept going up.

There’s an argument to be made that if Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had worked faster to secure extensions for stars like Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, the team could’ve have vastly saved on relatively cheaper deals. Instead of working to set the market, the Cowboys ended up being forced to react to it, leading to them being the only team in the NFL with two of the 20 highest-paid players in the NFL (by annual average) with Prescott at No. 1 and Lamb tied at No. 20.

The unofficial deadline that the team set for getting the deal done was the season opener, and Dallas snuck this one in before watching Prescott potentially test free agency at the end of the year. When asked if he was relieved to have got it done in time, Jones told reporters, “Relief? No, I’m happy that it’s done. This was the time when it was right there for us to do. We were all set to go. That’s so critical.”

Jones claimed that the issue with getting a deal done was never about Prescott being the answer for them at the quarterback position. The concentration was just finding a way to make everything work, and the stars didn’t align until just in time to get the deal done.

“I think we all felt a little energy to come on in and, so to speak, get to a point where we could say ‘yes,'” Jones continued, per Clarence Hill of All City DLLS. “I’ve really known all along what a great player Dak is…I’ve seen too many very important deals not work out just because of miscalculating the right time when everybody’s ready to go. It was apparent to me over the last few days that we were ready to go and could put this in place.”

There was one other sticking point that kept holding Jones up throughout the process: the sheer magnitude of the money involved. “I’m talking about making him the highest paid player in the history of the NFL…$231 million guaranteed, I know, these numbers are beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”

In the end, the team got it done, and now, Prescott has the highest annual salary any player in the NFL has ever had. We don’t know all the specifics of the deal just yet, but ESPN’s Todd Archer tells us that his 2025 cap impact will include $26.13MM in bonus proration, in addition to the new proration of the signing bonus and new base salary. Jones claims he was working to put the Cowboys in the best position to win a Super Bowl in the future, and in his words, “(Prescott) was (their) best chance of getting one.”

Dak Prescott Cowboys Extension Still Possible Before Week 1

September 7th, 2024 at 10:53pm CST by Adam La Rose

On the eve of their season opener, it remains to be seen if the Cowboys will reach agreement on a Dak Prescott extension. Team and player are negotiating a deal to continue their relationship beyond the 2024 campaign.

Recent updates on the situation have noted progress at the bargaining table, with an agreement reportedly being reached with respect to the length of a new contract. Value and guarantee structure will be key points of contention as in any high-profile negotiation, and Sunday represents an artificial deadline for an extension to be in place. In the latest development on this story, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports there is a “small chance” the Cowboys and Prescott will get a deal over the finish line in time.

While a final agreement is not in place, DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr. confirms the sides are still negotiating at this point with a very small window of time remaining. Owner Jerry Jones said last week a deal does not need to be signed by the start of the regular season, although teams generally prefer to get contract work done in time for Week 1. Prescott is currently slated to carry a cap hit of over $55MM in 2024, a figure which could be lowered on a long-term pact. The 31-year-old will leave Dallas with a dead money charge of more than $40MM if he departs as a free agent next spring.

Both Prescott and Jones have made clear their desire to avoid that, although the three-time Pro Bowler has also noted the multitude of longtime starting quarterbacks who have played for multiple teams during their careers. Prescott appeared to be open to negotiations continuing into the season, but he has since clarified he is not the one primarily responsible for whether or not that happens. Given the efforts made to reach an eleventh-hour agreement, it is clear all parties involved are interested in achieving clarity in advance of the season starting.

CeeDee Lamb inked a four-year extension averaging $34MM per season this summer, and edge rusher Micah Parsons will be in line for a deal putting him at or near the top of his position’s market during the 2025 offseason. Prescott could very well move to the top of the quarterback pecking order on his next deal, either on another Dallas extension or a contract sending him to a new team in March. The latter scenario being eliminated is still possible with mere hours remaining until the Cowboys’ season starts.

Cowboys, Dak Prescott Making Progress In Extension Talks

September 6th, 2024 at 4:34pm CST by Adam La Rose

SEPTEMBER 6: Stephen Jones confirmed on Friday (via team reporter Nick Harris) talks continue on the Prescott front. The team remains hopeful an agreement can be reached prior to Sunday, and attention will no doubt be focused on any movement in negotiations in the immediate future.

SEPTEMBER 5: CeeDee Lamb‘s extension is in place, and Micah Parsons may well need to wait until next offseason to finalize one of his own. The Cowboys still have the matter of a Dak Prescott deal to attend to in the days leading up to their season opener, however.

Negotiations on an extension have taken place throughout the summer, and efforts to reach an agreement continue before Week 1. During a recent Scoop City episode, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported contract length is an issue between the parties (audio link). The financial element of a new Prescott accord is still expected to top the quarterback market, but Dallas could be hesitant about making another long-term commitment (at least, in terms of guaranteed money) in the 31-year-old. One year remains on the four-year, $160MM pact he signed in 2021.

However, DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr. writes team and player are in fact in agreement on contract length at this point. He adds that progress has been made recently and as a result a deal is “closer than it has been” at previous times in the offseason. Owner Jerry Jones said last week an extension does not need to be in place in time for Week 1, but Hill describes Sunday as Prescott’s “arbitrary line of demarcation,” suggesting talks could be paused after that time if no deal is reached. ESPN’s Dan Graziano adds it would not come as a surprise for this situation to be resolved in the coming days, even if it resulted in Prescott falling short of the $60MM AAV mark he has been connected to.

Prescott has joined Jones in making numerous public comments on this situation, one which will see him carry a cap hit of over $55MM in 2024 as things stand (along with a charge of more than $40MM next year if he were to depart). Last year’s MVP runner-up has repeatedly hinted at a willingness to keep his options open, citing the volume of high-profile quarterbacks who have played for multiple teams in their careers. He and Jones have, on the other hand, made clear their preference to continue their long-running relationship in 2025 and beyond.

Lamb’s deal carries an AAV of $34MM, the second-highest figure for receivers. Whenever Parsons’ deal is in place, it will no doubt make him at least one of the league’s highest-paid edge rushers. Those commitments will make a new Prescott investment difficult to manage from a cap standpoint, but no clear successor is in place under center if he is allowed to leave on the open market next spring. Playoff success has been elusive in the Prescott era, something Jones remains acutely aware of in advance of head coach Mike McCarthy‘s lame-duck season.

“I don’t know that there’s any more urgency but I have tried to look at places that we are complacent or ways not to be complacent,” Jones said (via a separate Hill piece). “I’m looking for ways to make sure they can’t say that I’ve got some kind of structure that breeds complacency. It can be contracts. It can be conversations. It can be player decisions… I didn’t make many changes. But within the realm of not making changes, totally changing people out, I tried to turn up the heat on myself and everybody involved. And I think that’s what’s being discussed.”

A short window of time still remains for Prescott and the Cowboys to finalize an agreement. It will be interesting to see if talks continue into the regular season if needed, but if the parties are settled on many elements of an extension the immediate future could breed further traction and an end to the uncertainty surrounding Dallas’ quarterback direction.

Cowboys, Dak Prescott Not Close On Extension

August 30th, 2024 at 10:41pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dak Prescott had previously said he would not set a deadline on a Cowboys extension. While Jerry Jones subsequently offered that the team expected to have Prescott on the 2025 roster, the owner’s timeline may have rankled his longtime quarterback.

Jones said the team was unlikely to have a Dak deal done by Week 1, going so far as to say the team does not need to complete one by that point. It is rather bold for Jones, given the leverage Prescott possesses, to remain confident Prescott will be the team’s 2025 starter when the Cowboys can only keep him off the market via an extension. The franchise tag, based on Prescott effectively winning the sides’ first negotiation, has long been off the table.

When asked about Jones’ comments, Prescott said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) he “stopped listening to things [Jones] says to the media a long time ago. It doesn’t really hold weight with me.” Though, Prescott did seem to take issue with part of Jones’ assessment. When asked if he would like a deal by Week 1, Prescott replied (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins), “I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn’t.”

To be clear, Prescott continued his refrain of staying out of negotiations and insisting he is indifferent on whether a deal comes to pass before next Sunday’s opener in Cleveland. But talks appear unlikely to produce any resolution at this point. Negotiations have continued throughout the summer, ESPN’s Todd Archer confirms. Those efforts do not have the parties on the verge of an agreement, he adds.

Interestingly, Prescott noted (via Archer) that the matter of whether or not talks continue into the regular season is up to Jones and agent Todd France to decide, not him. Earlier this month, the 2023 MVP runner-up noted he is on board with extension negotiations taking place during the fall, although his role in any talks which occur at that point will no doubt be limited with the season taking place. Waiting until the spring would add further pressure with a free agent departure becoming a distinct possibility.

“When you look at a situation, you’ve also got to weigh, ‘OK, what are the consequences of the other side of the coin?'” Jones said when addressing the Prescott case. “And so Dak’s situation right now for me, from my mirror, has more to do with our situation than it does with the merits of Dak Prescott being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.”

Even with wideout CeeDee Lamb‘s deal now on the books, two key questions remain for Dallas from a financial standpoint. Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons are in contention to top their respective markets on their next contracts, and affording both (in addition to Lamb’s $34MM AAV) will be challenging. Since Parsons has two years left on his rookie deal, his situation is on track to remain unsettled until next offseason. For Prescott, meanwhile, plenty of progress will still need to be made — before or after Week 1 — for an agreement to emerge.

Adam La Rose contributed to this post.

Jerry Jones: Cowboys “Don’t Need” To Extend Dak Prescott Before Start Of Season

August 28th, 2024 at 10:48pm CST by Ben Levine

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.

Latest On Cowboys’ Contract Holdups

August 21st, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Ely Allen

Cowboys owner/president/general manager Jerry Jones is starting to tip his hand. All offseason, we have watched the market for quarterbacks and wide receivers be reset as other teams across the NFL pay their players, some of whom were not free agents and still had time left on their contracts. All the while, Dallas has been negotiating, leaving quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and outside linebacker Micah Parsons as some of the few players with unresolved contract issues.

In an interview today, Jones clued us in as to why the Cowboys seem to be resting on their laurels while the rest of the league signs their players. DallasCowboys.com writer Nick Harris provided the full quote.

“Well, again, we’re just continuing to talk,” Jones started before getting to the point at hand. “The thing is there, since we’re really (nearing) in-season, practicing, doing all those things, we’re operating under the existing contract really good.

“One of the things that the fans should really understand is that, nine times out of ten, these are existing contracts that you have in place. You should be able to operate under those, but we’ve gotten it now in the NFL — other teams are dealing with it — with some time on the contract, you still might have a contract discussion. And that’s what we’re doing. None of us — player or team — want to hurt the preparation or likelihood of playing at your best.”

There it is. It’s seemed as if the Cowboys are sitting on their hands in terms of extending their three stars because Jones seemingly wants the players to honor the remainder of their contracts before taking extension conversations seriously. On its surface, this seems like a reasonable expectation, until the flipside shows teams cutting veterans with multiple years left on their contracts because they don’t want to be beholden to the cap figures they agreed to.

It’s strange to see Jones play ignorant to the concept that there is value in keeping your star players happy by offering them security and a raise above what they are already owed. One of the league’s most-talented defenders, Parsons is set to be paid as the 76th highest-paid edge rusher (in terms of annual average contract value) in the NFL in 2024. He’ll receive $2.99MM in cash this year. Lamb is set up a little better with his fifth-year option paying him $17.99MM this year, though that amount would qualify as the 25th-highest annual average for receivers in the league.

Prescott is rightfully content to play out the 2024 season on his current deal, as he’ll receive $34MM in cash this year, but one might think that his $55.13MM cap hit in 2024 might encourage Jones to work out a new deal to reduce his cap impact. The team has already shoveled $54.14MM of Prescott’s cap numbers into future void seasons, so perhaps Jones is hesitant to dig the future hole even deeper.

Jones already voiced a lack of urgency in extending Lamb. The holdout receiver could do nothing but laugh on social media as a response. Jones’ comments today concerning Prescott’s situation indicate more of the same. While other teams are attempting to stay ahead of the ever-inflating contract numbers around the NFL, Jones is keeping his wallet closed for now. Jones even blamed some of his tight-purse tendencies on the NFL’s DirecTV case that could involve a large payout from the league.

Regardless, it seems evident that, at the very least, an extension for Prescott will not likely occur before the start of the regular season. Parsons seemed to be on a lower priority level than Prescott, so he will likely have to wait, as well. As for Lamb? He continues to hold out as offers are proffered and rejected. While media pundits seem to think that Lamb will be out there for Week 1, Jones’ continued nonchalance in negotiating could end up forcing Lamb to continue his holdout into the regular season.

Dak Prescott Not Setting Deadline For Cowboys Extension

August 16th, 2024 at 10:52am CST by Sam Robinson

A number of NFL execs are questioning Jerry Jones‘ strategy with Dak Prescott, and the quarterback coming off his first All-Pro season resides in an excellent position ahead of a contract year. But the Cowboys still hold exclusive negotiating rights with their ninth-year starter, giving them some time — even as criticism has come the team’s way for waiting this long.

Prescott also appears open to holding extension talks in-season. The longtime Dallas QB1 will not set an artificial deadline here, seemingly open to going up to free agency next year in negotiations with his team.

“I’m not putting that much thought into hoping it gets done now, hoping it gets done in a couple of weeks, during the season or whenever it happens,” Prescott said, via ESPN.com’s Todd Archer. “I just know conversations are on the right way.

“I enjoy being a Cowboy 1,000 percent, enjoy living in Dallas, enjoy everything about it. But this is a business. Conversations are going well, but I’m thankful to be where I am right now and that’s here.”

This is not the first time Prescott has publicly alluded to the business component here. As the Cowboys are unable to trade their starter or apply the franchise tag — with a $55.13MM 2024 cap number and a looming $40.13MM dead money hit factoring into this equation as well — Dak is believed to have asked for a deal that would break the current NFL AAV record of $55MM. A $60MM-per-year deal has been floated during this lengthy process as well, as the Cowboys would face the prospect of losing their starter for merely a 2026 compensatory pick next year.

Prescott, 31, has continued to insist he wants to stay in Dallas. Though, he did reference other standout passers leaving their initial teams. COO Stephen Jones also recently said the ball was in Dak’s court, suggesting the Cowboys have made an offer. Players have set negotiating deadlines in the past, and it is interesting Prescott is open to talking with the team during the season. He could further boost his leverage by refusing to do so, creating two deadlines — Week 1 and the start of free agency — during a process that would stand to see other teams enter the mix if this drags on long enough.

The Cowboys finally hammered out their initial Prescott extension early in a third offseason of negotiations. Though, the sides were unable to talk during his 2020 franchise tag season. After being unable to extend their QB in 2019 and tagging him in 2020, the team agreed to a player-friendly accord just before a second Prescott tag would have hit the cap sheet in March 2021. Prescott’s past of shrewd negotiating is certainly relevant again, even as he continues to say the right things about his latest round of Dallas talks.

QB Rumors: Dak, Cowboys, Dolphins, Tua, Titans, Rudolph, Willis, Sanders

August 14th, 2024 at 7:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

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.

Dak Prescott’s Price Point Beyond $55MM Per Year; Cowboys Closer With CeeDee Lamb?

August 9th, 2024 at 9:52pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Cowboys remain in talks with both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, but the standout duo remains a contract-year combination. Months into these proceedings, Lamb is holding out and Prescott continues to wield enormous leverage.

While Prescott has said the right things about another deal with Dallas, his asking price is justifiably high. The ninth-year quarterback is seeking a contract that breaks the NFL AAV record, with The Athletic’s Jeff Howe indicating the Cowboys are negotiating with a player aiming for more than $55MM on average (subscription required).

Given Prescott’s position, it is understandable his price point has reached this place. The parties are not believed to be close on terms, per Howe, though the Cowboys made an offer recently. COO Stephen Jones has also said the ball is in the QB’s court.

As mentioned regularly here (though, perhaps not quite as often as Brandon Aiyuk particulars), Prescott holds a no-trade and cannot be franchise-tagged in 2025. His 2024 cap number ($55.13MM) will break a league record — as Deshaun Watson and other QBs are poised to as well — and the Cowboys would take on $40.13MM in 2025 dead money if they let their QB’s contract expire by the start of the 2025 league year. Rarely in this position with players, the Cowboys are here because they could not come to an agreement on a second contract with the former Offensive Rookie of the Year until a third offseason of negotiations (2021).

The Cowboys “badly” want Dak back on a third contract, Howe adds, and have been trying to finalize a deal before free agency becomes a real possibility. But they are negotiating with a player who has outperformed a few of the QBs who recently joined the $50MM-per-year club. That said, all eight passers presently among that contingent have not yet turned 30. Prescott will turn 31 this season. Though, the 2023 second-team All-Pro remains squarely in his prime and just saw Kirk Cousins collect $100MM in practical guarantees coming off an Achilles tear at 35.

If Prescott pushes this toward free agency, suitors will be there. The Cowboys not playing ball now would run the risk of a historically rare development. On the other side, Dallas will need to again agree to player-friendly terms if it wants to keep Prescott. A deal that hits $60MM per year with a strong guarantee structure will likely be required if Dak is to sign before the season starts. Otherwise, this saga figures to linger to the point other teams will start becoming connected to the former fourth-round find.

Starting over is not exactly a sought-after reality for a Cowboys team that is riding three straight 12-win seasons, but the team does have two other top-market extensions — those for Lamb and Micah Parsons — on its radar. Describing Parsons’ pact as a backburner issue — which runs counter to a recent assessment of the All-Pro pass rusher’s situation — Howe indicates the Cowboys appear closer on terms with Lamb than they do Prescott.

After Jerry Jones said the team does not have urgency to extend the holdout wide receiver, Lamb offered an “lol” X response. Prescott, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota, indeed said he urgently wants the team to pay his top weapon.

The sides have exchanged offers, however, and Howe notes progress has emerged. This deal is viewed as being closer to completion. The Cowboys can waive the daily fines Lamb is accruing due to the fifth-year target being on a rookie contract.

A late-July report pegged Lamb as not being insistent on becoming the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB — a title Justin Jefferson holds at $35MM per year — and Howe indeed offers the Cowboys are hesitant about reaching the AAV the Vikings WR secured in June. Lamb would then stand to command a number between Jefferson and No. 2 on the current list (A.J. Brown‘s $32MM average).

While guarantees could then be a Cowboys concession if they are truly unwilling to go where the Vikings went regarding AAV, the team prefers longer-term deals compared to those receivers have landed this offseason. Dallas has not fully guaranteed a receiver more than $40MM — the Amari Cooper figure from 2020 — but surely realizes it will take more to wrap the Lamb talks. D.J. Moore securing $82MM in total guarantees from the Bears certainly should set a Lamb floor; only Brown ($84MM) is between Moore and Jefferson in this category.

The Cowboys still have some time, but the team has undoubtedly seen prices rise by waiting this long. Although Jones brushed off the notion urgency is needed here, it would surprise if at least one of the two stars was not extended before Week 1.

QB Dak Prescott Addresses Cowboys Extension Talks

August 3rd, 2024 at 9:47pm CST by Adam La Rose

Dak Prescott is one member of the oft-discussed trio of Cowboys who have yet to sign an extension this offseason. Negotiations have been ongoing through the start of training camp, which the MVP runner-up has participated in.

The latest update on the matter indicated the next move belongs to Prescott’s camp as Dallas continues to try and also hammer out deals for wideout CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons. Prescott cannot receive the franchise tag, and only an extension can smooth out his projected 2024 cap hit of $55.13MM. That gives him considerable leverage, although he has repeatedly said finances are not his primary concern on a new Cowboys pact.

“You understand what a brotherhood means, not only for just this team but the fraternity of the NFL and the players,” Prescott said when asked about where things stand (via ESPN’s Todd Archer). “The money is out there and the money can happen. It can be done. There’s ways to make everything work for both ways. That’s in that sense it’s always about pushing the envelope for the next man.”

Those remarks carry a similar sentiment to the one Prescott expressed earlier this week with respect to moving the top of the QB market. $55MM per year remains the benchmark after Joe Burrow landed that figure on his Bengals extension last offseason and Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars) and Jordan Love (Packers) matched it in 2024. A Prescott accord could take the position to new heights, though the terms the 31-year-old is seeking are not known.

Lamb continues to hold out of training camp as he seeks an extension at or near the top of the receiver market. At least one offer has been made as negotiations continue, and Prescott noted Lamb remains hopeful a deal on his end will be struck to pave the way for a return to the team. Unlike veterans, players attached to their rookie contracts (such as Lamb) can have the fines incurred by training camp absences waived.

All Prescott and Lamb negotiations must take into account the fact that Parsons is eligible for an extension of his own. Owner Jerry Jones recently confirmed a monster Parsons contract has not been forgotten about relative to the Cowboys’ other priorities. The team’s top edge rusher is under contract through 2025, though, whereas Lamb and Prescott are pending free agents. The latter does not appear close to striking a deal, but he remains optimistic one can be worked out allowing him to meet his stated goal of remaining in Dallas.

“I’ve never truly cared about the number whether it was the first time in the franchise tag and the negotiations or now,” Prescott added. “That’s why I said I have an agent that I’m confident in and a front office that we can figure out something for both of us that makes sense.”

Load More Posts