Cowboys Could Take Drastic Action on Dak Prescott in 2024

Getty The Cowboys Dak Prescott

It’s unlikely. Very, very unlikely. Start with that when it comes to Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and the chances that the team could take the drastic step this offseason of shrugging off negotiations on a new contract with him, and simply taking an axe to his position on the roster. Still, it is possible that the Cowboys could cut Prescott in the coming months, though it would almost certainly be a move that happened after June 1 for cap reasons.

That’s the analysis from K.D. Drummond of Cowboys Wire, who covered the major possibilities of what could happen with Prescott in the offseason on his podcast, “Catch This Fade!” He started with the least likely, which would be the one some Cowboys fans would quickly vote for, just letting Prescott and his sad-sack 2-5 playoff record walk altogether.

“Very unlikely to happen but it’s still a possibility—the Dallas Cowboys could cut Dak Prescott,” Drummond said.

He explained more: “The Cowboys could cut Dak Prescott, save his $29 million, still have $30 million in dead money based on the bonus money they’ve paid him in the past, the roster bonus he is due in March and basically just save $29 million off their cap next year.”

Cowboys Dak Prescott Cut Would Come After MVP-Type Season

Now, the benefits of cutting Prescott at this point are obvious to anyone who saw what happened to Dallas, yet again, in the playoffs. But the risks are many. The Cowboys would still have a significant amount of money on the books for Prescott next year and in 2025, so dumping him would not really create a trove of new space.

Also, Prescott is coming off a year in which he earned MVP plaudits. It’s hard to find a quarterback in the NFL, and if Prescott is not great in the playoffs, even his detractors must admit he was great this regular season. Prescott rated a 90.0 grade at Pro Football Focus, which was third in the NFL.

At the salary cap site OverTheCap.com, writer Jason Fitzgerald also raised the notion of cutting Prescott, and wrote, “If for some crazy reason the Cowboys wanted to cut Dak Prescott they could but it would be costly. He would need to be released before the roster bonus is due and even then the Cowboys would need to account for $61.915 million in salary cap charges. … My guess is Dallas would opt to June 1 Prescott if for any reason it came down to this.”

Drummond agrees that a Prescott cut would come after June 1, but adds that the team would need to have drafted a quarterback they believe in for that to be realistic.

“There’s no way they do this without drafting a quarterback, right? Sitting at 24, unless they’re going to mortgage future picks, there’s no way to guarantee that a quarterback is going to fall to them. In my estimation, this would be a June 1 cut,” Drummond said.

Jerry Jones Would Not Go the Russell Wilson Route

In a way, the Cowboys have painted themselves into a corner on Prescott. He has a no-trade clause in his deal, so he can’t necessarily be dealt. They owe him $59 million in 2024, which gives him a lot of leverage in negotiations—at worst, he can walk away from the table and the Cowboys will have to pay him that money. Again, a cut is a longshot here.

But if you want evidence that even the most unwieldy and expensive contracts can still get the scissors in the NFL, look no further than Denver’s Russell Wilson, who is likely to be let go by the Broncos despite the team having to pay him about $90 million over the next two years to play for someone else.

It’s hard to see Jerry Jones swallowing a lump that size. Drummond says the most likely outcome is a contract that runs about $57 million per year.

“I think that’s what’s in store for Prescott, whether it is a four-year or a five-year deal,” he said.