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It might be time for the Dallas Cowboys to begin pondering life without Dak Prescott at quarterback.
In the aftermath of the Cowboys and Prescott agreeing that the star quarterback would play out the final year of his contract in 2024, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests that Dallas might select a quarterback in the early rounds of this year’s NFL Draft.
“What are they going to do at quarterback, if they lose Dak?” Schefter said, during an April 9 edition of NFL Live on ESPN. “That’s interesting. And, that’s why I think the Dallas Cowboys just might be a sleeper team in the quarterback market in the NFL Draft.
“Because, at some point in time, they might have to draft a quarterback, higher than you’d think, at some point in time, because Dak is going into the last year of the contract, and it might be time to get somebody in there to start grooming. Just like they found Dak Prescott in Round 4, it might be time to go find another quarterback, in another round, to begin getting him ready.”
The Cowboys’ offseason, and handling of Prescott’s contract situation has been an intertangled perplexing series of events. Rather than signing Prescott to an extension which would have created cap space, the Cowboys have stood pat while only signing Eric Kendricks and Jourdan Lewis as outside free agents.
Given that Prescott is just 2-5 lifetime in the NFL Playoffs, and the Cowboys are fresh off getting waxed in the NFC Wild Card round by the Green Bay Packers, 48-32, perhaps Jerry Jones has at least one eye trained on Dallas’ future at quarterback.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Uncertainty
Neither the Cowboys nor Prescott showed much urgency to come to terms on a reworked deal.
Prescott is set to collect a $29 million base salary in 2024, while counting $55.4 million against the cap. As ESPN’s Todd Archer points out, the next deadline for the Cowboys and Prescott to come to terms on a deal is March 12, 2025, the fifth day of the new league year.
“Without a new contract by then,” Archer writes. “Prescott will count at least $40.46 million against the 2025 salary cap, and he will not be on the Cowboys’ roster.
“With a contract done before then, Prescott’s cap number will be at least $25 million as a result of the restructures the Cowboys have used on the current deal, including converting his $5 million roster bonus earlier this month. Add in the yearly proration of a new signing bonus plus his base salary, and it’s likely Prescott’s cap number on an extension will exceed $40 million in 2025.”
It’s difficult to envision the Cowboys paying Prescott that kind of money against the cap to be lining up behind center elsewhere, which makes the organization’s posturing around its quarterback this offseason all the more confounding. Especially given the uncertainty surrounding pass-rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb‘s futures, with both up for extensions.
If Prescott plays well in 2024, and leads the Cowboys on a deep playoff run, the 30-year-old will hold even more leverage next offseason and will likely be the most coveted veteran quarterback on the market.
Playoffs or Bust for Prescott, McCarthy?
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is a lame duck in 2024, and Prescott is likely playing for his future.
While there is a possibility that Prescott might need to lead the Cowboys to the franchise’s first Super Bowl berth this century in order to remain in Dallas, CBS Sports believes the Cowboys could miss the postseason entirely.
“They’ve still got elite play-makers on both sides of the ball, but Jerry Jones is all but forcing his quarterback-head coach duo into an ultimatum season, with Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy under pressure to make a deep run,” CBS Sports writes. “Meanwhile Prescott’s O-line has real questions, the defense has new management, and they’ve not upgraded skill spots.”
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