Dak Prescott

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.”

Cowboys COO: Ball In Dak Prescott’s Court; Team Communicating With CeeDee Lamb

July 31st, 2024 at 1:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Friday further solidified the quarterback market. After Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence signed $50MM-plus-per-year extensions this offseason, Jordan Love‘s hold-in and Tua Tagovailoa‘s partial hold-in wrapped after they followed suit. This leaves one major quarterback situation unresolved.

Dak Prescott remains in a contract year, and the ninth-year Cowboys QB is practicing. Prescott wields tremendous leverage over the Cowboys due to his current contract, and after a summer report indicated the team was planning to make a strong offer, COO Stephen Jones said during an appearance on KTFM San Antonio (h/t The Athletic’s Jon Machota) the ball is in Prescott’s court presently. Whether this means the Cowboys have made their offer or not, the team is waiting to hear from the QB’s camp.

The 30-year-old passer has not detailed his demands yet, but he is set up to do very well. If Prescott is to re-sign with the Cowboys, he will command a contract north of where Lawrence, Love and Joe Burrow have set the bar ($55MM). As we have detailed, Dak cannot be franchise-tagged and adds to his bargaining position via a 2024 cap number ($55.13MM) and the dead money that would hit the Cowboys’ 2025 payroll ($40.13MM) if he is unsigned by the start of the ’25 league year.

“It’s definitely not the money,” Prescott said (via NFL.com’s Jane Slater and Daniel Jeremiah) of his Cowboys situation. “A little bit of it is respect. In the same sense, what motivates me is just coming out here each and every day and getting better and being able to control that, I’m at peace with. … When you focus on that, the money comes. As you said, these other guys, they’re the ones setting the bar in that, and as I said, it’s an obligation that I have to my team, my family, and to the rest of the quarterbacks in the NFL.”

The tag being out of the picture gives Prescott the ability to control this process. The Falcons’ Kirk Cousins contract, despite the veteran QB going into his age-36 season coming off an Achilles tear, illustrates the free agency offers that would likely be available if Prescott hit the market. Prescott has said he wants to finish his career in Dallas but added the obvious caveat that quarterbacks often change teams. Given the makeup of Dallas’ roster, suddenly needing to find a new starting quarterback next year would obviously threaten to unravel this nucleus’ contention prospects.

This all points to the Cowboys needing to make a monster offer — perhaps at or near $60MM per year with favorable guarantees — to prevent their QB from moving toward free agency.

Lamb can be tagged in 2025, but the Cowboys have made an offer. Jones said during his KTFM appearance the team heard back from the All-Pro wideout recently. Lamb is headed into his fifth-year option season. While the Oklahoma alum may not require a contract that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, the Cowboys will at least need to approach the Justin Jefferson numbers ($35MM AAV, $110MM guaranteed, $88.7MM fully guaranteed) to complete a deal.

“We keep having multiple exchanges with CeeDee,” Jones said. “He actually sent us something late (Sunday). We continue to grind away on it. I would characterize both negotiations as very cordial and upbeat. We’re optimistic we’ll continue to work toward getting something done.”

The Cowboys continue to practice without Lamb, who joins Haason Reddick and Trent Williams as holdouts. The team must fine Lamb $50K per day missed, but with the receiver on a rookie contract, the fines can later be waived. Given the positive tone Jones is trying to convey, it seems likely the Cowboys would waive the fines if Lamb is extended soon. Reports indicating both players are Dallas’ priorities have come out, but the team is clearly eyeing new deals for each offensive pillar.

Cowboys Submit New Extension Offer To WR CeeDee Lamb

July 27th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Ely Allen

Still dealing with a rare contract situation in which three players are in the mix for market-setting extensions, the Cowboys have Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb positioned ahead of Micah Parsons in their queue. Differing reports have come out regarding whether Dallas’ quarterback or top wide receiver is the first priority, but the most recent update would point to the latter being in that slot.

COO Stephen Jones told NFL.com’s Jane Slater on Saturday the team has submitted another proposal to Lamb. Jones views the conversations with Lamb’s camp as positive, as the team attempts to hammer out an agreement that will likely be similar to the Vikings’ megadeal for Justin Jefferson.

After indicating both Lamb and Parsons wanted to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, Jones backtracked by saying the fifth-year wide receiver is not demanding that. At $35MM — with guarantees at $110MM (total) and $88.7MM (full) — Jefferson set a high bar this offseason, one that eclipsed Nick Bosa‘s $34MM-AAV deal as the league’s top non-QB contract.

A report earlier this week, coming out just before Lamb made his long-rumored holdout official, indicated the Cowboys had not yet entered substantial talks with the 2020 first-rounder. It appears that has changed, with this offer — which emerged Friday — not being the first during this negotiation. The Cowboys had Lamb on their extension radar last year but did not appear to enter serious talks. That has driven up the price now that Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and A.J. Brown have upped the market this offseason.

On the quarterback front, Jones told the reporters that, apart from Lamb’s deal yesterday, the team also made a contract offer to Prescott’s agents “a few days ago,” per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. With yesterday’s extensions of Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love, it’s likely that the offer will get tossed aside in order to process the newest information. With Tagovailoa’s deal falling just short in annual average value of the league leaders and Love’s extension tying him with Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence as the highest annual earners of all time, it’s easy to envision a situation in the near future wherein Prescott becomes the NFL’s highest-paid player of all time.

A reason that the Cowboys seem to be a step behind the rest of the league on getting these new deals done could be Jones’ father, Jerry Jones. The elder Jones acts as the team’s owner, president, and general manager. This is of note due to what seems to be Dallas’ view on the salary cap affecting negotiations.

Watkins reports that Jones fears that the league’s monopoly case with DirecTV could affect the NFL’s revenue in the future, ultimately pushing for a reduction, or at least a slower inflation, in the salary cap. Subjectively, this feels like a bit of an empty threat. Aside from the COVID-19-affected 2020 season, NFL revenue has increased at the rate of $1BB per year each year since 2017. Regardless of the result of the DirecTV lawsuit, the NFL has secured broadcasting deals with CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN/ABC, YouTube TV, Amazon, and most recently, Netflix. According to Matt Johnson of sportsnaut.com, the league’s estimated revenue for the 2023-24 season approached $20BB.

Jones claims to know where the NFL salary cap is headed better than anyone else, according to The Athletic’s Jon Machota. Perhaps he does have information other general managers aren’t privy to, but for now, it projects as a bit of grandstanding in order to excuse a slow resolution to multiple big contract negotiations. With recent offers out to Lamb and Prescott, it seems progress is being made, but there is a lot more work to be done in Dallas.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Cowboys Expect To Extend Dak Prescott; CeeDee Lamb Seeking Top Non-QB Deal?

July 26th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Sam Robinson

JULY 26: Walking back his comments about Lamb a bit Friday, Stephen Jones said (via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Clarence Hill) the fifth-year wide receiver is not “dug in” on becoming the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback. Not too much wiggle room exists here, as it would stand to reason Lamb will want to collect more than Brown ($32MM AAV, $84MM guaranteed) did earlier this year. This matter figures to come down to how Lamb’s contract compares to Jefferson’s, with a sizable guarantee gap existing between the Eagles and Vikings receiver extensions.

JULY 25: Beginning their training camp, the Cowboys have not completed any extensions with their top players just yet. A report earlier this week indicated not much progress has emerged with CeeDee Lamb, who is holding out. Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons are in attendance in Oxnard, Calif., but they join Lamb in one of the more interesting contract quandaries in many years.

Parsons said earlier this summer he expected to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback when he signs an extension, though the Cowboys have some time with the 2021 draftee due to the fifth-year option. Lamb is heading into his fifth-year option season, and Cowboys COO Stephen Jones shed some light on the team’s negotiations with the All-Pro wide receiver. Lamb joins Parsons in angling to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-QB, per the second-generation NFL exec.

While Jones stopped short of naming names (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins), it is not difficult to learn which players the Dallas bigwig was referencing. Lamb said in January he wanted to be the NFL’s highest-paid wide receiver. The landscape has changed since those comments, with three more wideouts — Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown and Justin Jefferson — crossing the $30MM-per-year barrier. The guarantees in Jefferson’s record-smashing $35MM-per-year deal ($110MM in total, $88.7MM full) far eclipsed previous records, and they have certainly complicated Cowboys-Lamb talks.

Dallas did not enter serious negotiations with Lamb last year, as the Vikings also waited until Year 5 — the norm for first-round wideouts until this offseason, when DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle received early extensions — with Jefferson. The Minnesota contract moves the bar for the Cowboys, who have never guaranteed more than $40MM (Amari Cooper) for a receiver. In Dallas’ defense, only 10 wideouts are tied to deals that contained $40MM at signing.

Jones called having three players who could set the market at their positions “not easy,” and Lamb could still be franchise-tagged in 2025. Though, the fifth-year wideout is attempting to force the issue by holding out; Zack Martin did so and succeeded last year. A tag is off the table for Prescott, who holds tremendous leverage with no-tag and no-trade clauses. Prescott’s monster cap number ($55.13MM) this year and void years-driven $40.13MM dead money figure for 2025 give him rare ammo to use against a team also dealing with Lamb and Parsons.

Although the ninth-year QB could maneuver his way to free agency fairly easily, Jerry Jones does not believe 2024 will be Prescott’s Dallas finale. A $60MM-per-year price tag has been rumored for Dak, who may soon have more to work with should the Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa deals cross the goal lines in Green Bay and Miami soon.

“Just to be very specific. I do not think this will be his last year with the Cowboys, at all,” Jones said, via The Athletic’s Jon Machota (subscription required). “I want to say if it hasn’t been clear — of how much we appreciate what Dak Prescott has meant to this team in a positive way. The players do play better when he’s out there. He does make his teammates play at a higher level there’s no question about it. So I’m right there in line with his best fan.”

Differing reports have come out regarding whether Prescott or Lamb is the team’s immediate priority. It would stand to reason Prescott would be due to his unique situation, as Lamb can still be tagged. The Cowboys are believed to be set to make their longtime starter a strong offer, one that would drop his record-setting (along with Deshaun Watson and other QBs this year) cap number and give the Cowboys some security.

Prescott prefers to stay in Dallas as well, though the 2023 second-team All-Pro stopped short of guaranteeing his career will unfold entirely with the franchise. As legendary figures like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and countless other greats have shown, of course, QBs regularly do not go wire-to-wire with the teams that drafted them. Roger Staubach, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo did, though.

“I’m gonna say it. I want to be here, but when you look [it] up, all the other great quarterbacks that I watched played for other teams [than their first team],” Prescott said, via Yahoo’s Charles Robinson. “… That’s not something to fear.”

Prescott, 30, has not been afraid to maximize his leverage; it took three offseasons for him to sign his current four-year, $160MM contract. Hinting at a future departure is not out of character, and the Cowboys will need to make a whopping offer to ensure they keep their former fourth-round find off next year’s market, where a host of suitors would await.

Stephen Jones On Cowboys’ Extension Efforts

July 19th, 2024 at 10:02am CST by Adam La Rose

With training camps beginning to open around the NFL, numerous extension agreements are likely to be finalized in the near future. For the Cowboys, negotiations on several fronts are ongoing.

COO Stephen Jones made an appearance on The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast to discuss where things currently stand with respect to contract talks for quarterback Dak Prescott, wideout CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons. Prescott and Lamb are entering the final year of their respective deals, and keeping both in the fold while leaving enough cap resources to extend Parsons will prove to be a challenge. It is one the Cowboys are optimistic can be met, though.

“Well those things take time,” Jones said. “And we’re talking about deals here. You know when you’re talking about CeeDee and Dak and you know somebody like a Micah coming up. I mean you’re talking about two players that aren’t quarterbacks that feel like they ought to be a little bit like [Justin] Jefferson, the top-paid non-quarterbacks in the league.

“And, of course, we’ve got a big one in Dak. And we got [Trevon] Diggs right there. And then you got Zack Martin and [DeMarcus Lawrence]. And so we got a lot of guys making you know quite a bit of money. And you know that’s no excuses. We think we can get this done, know we can get it done. But it just takes time.”

Prescott’s deal is positioned to check in at the highest AAV figure, but both Lamb and Parsons have been connected to an asking price which would allow them to top their respective markets. Dallas is not looking to go to those lengths, though in any event much will depend on the particulars of Prescott’s extension. When addressing the latter point, Jones confirmed he and owner Jerry Jones have been in communication with Prescott himself as well as agent Todd France.

A Prescott accord will likely be finalized before one for Lamb – something which could lead to a training camp holdout if the franchise record-setting wideout does not have a deal in hand in the near future. Week 1 represents a more firm deadline, of course, but the start of camp will be an interesting checkpoint to watch for as Dallas continues to negotiate multiple big-ticket extensions. If the Prescott talks gain traction during the coming days, at least one item off the team’s checklist could be taken care of.

NFL Active Leaders In Career Earnings

July 13th, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ben Levine

Kirk Cousins‘ four-year, $180MM deal with the Falcons this season vaulted him up the list of active career earners. This was by virtue of his $50MM signing bonus, adding to the more than $231MM he earned from the Commanders and (mostly) the Vikings throughout his career. Even under the worst-case scenario, Cousins will still see at least another $50MM come his way via his contract with Atlanta, which would push his career earnings north of $331MM.

While the soon-to-be 36-year-old Cousins will surely see a significant portion of the $80MM worth of unguaranteed money on his contract, he’ll still be hard pressed to catch Aaron Rodgers on the career-earnings list. Rodgers earned more than $306MM during his long tenure in Green Bay, and he’s already made close to $37MM during his one season in New York (mostly via the $35MM signing bonus on his reworked pact).

With at least $40MM of additional guarantees coming his way from the Jets, Rodgers will continue to grow his lead as the highest-earning NFL player of all time. Both Rodgers and Matthew Stafford were able to leap Tom Brady among the NFL’s highest all-time earners over the past year.

With all that said, we’ve listed the 25 active players who have earned the most money in their NFL careers (h/t to OverTheCap.com). While this list is up to date, it doesn’t account for soon-to-realized salaries for the 2024 campaign. This list is also solely focused on NFL cash and does not include off-the-field earnings:

QB Aaron Rodgers: $343MM
QB Matthew Stafford: $328MM
QB Russell Wilson: $305MM
QB Kirk Cousins: $281MM
QB Jared Goff: $234MM
LB Von Miller: $179MM
QB Joe Flacco: $177MM
OT Trent Williams: $171MM
QB Derek Carr: $165MM
LB Khalil Mack: $162MM
QB Dak Prescott: $161MM
DL Aaron Donald: $157MM
QB Jimmy Garoppolo: $150MM
DE Calais Campbell: $143MM
QB Deshaun Watson: $142MM
QB Patrick Mahomes: $136MM
DE Joey Bosa: $134MM
DL Leonard Williams: $134MM
WR Mike Evans: $132MM
QB Carson Wentz: $130MM
WR DeAndre Hopkins: $128MM
WR Stefon Diggs: $126MM
DE Cameron Jordan: $126MM
OT Lane Johnson: $121MM
DT Chris Jones: $120MM

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