It’s only natural, as this Dallas Cowboys season has descended into a certain wretched desperation at 3-5 and with few avenues emerging for considerable improvement other than a poor division and a weak schedule, that attention turns to major overhauls. Not just tweaks and benchings, but a full-on NFL rebuild. And if the Cowboys need to truly start over, a case could be made that the restart must begin at the most important position in sports and the most expensive player on the roster: Quarterback Dak Prescott.
Yes, what once seemed a bridge too far has, at least, been broached by credible Cowboys thinkers. There is chatter about potentially trading away Prescott, the 11th year veteran who holds the franchise records for yardage, completions and touchdowns. Prescott is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but clearly, something has not clicked between him and this franchise–he is just 2-5 as a playoff quarterback and is looking at his third straight year of not making the postseason outright. He would be a high-value trade target for any franchise in need of a new QB, and that’s at least worth considering for the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott’s No-Trade Clause Looms
But there is a big problem there: Dak Prescott is among the few players who has a no-trade clause in his contract, and it would be a massive longshot to think that Prescott would want to allow the Cowboys to trade him. Yes, Prescott wants to win, but he is also 33 years old with a settled life in Texas, and two daughters with his ex-fiancee.
Per Spotrac: “According to our data, 12 #NFL players currently hold a full no-trade clause.
- Will Anderson (HOU)
- Joe Burrow (CIN)
- Myles Garrett (LAR)
- Jared Goff (DET)
- Justin Herbert (LAC)
- Jalen Hurts (PHI)
- Lamar Jackson (BAL)
- Trevor Lawrence (JAX)
- Patrick Mahomes (KC)
- Dak Prescott (DAL)
- Brock Purdy (SF)
- Deshaun Watson (CLE)
A Prescott trade would also come with financial ramifications–he has cap hits of $76 million and $84 million in the next two seasons, and the Cowboys are on the hook for considerable dead money going forward. But the no-trade clause is the big issue.
Time for Cowboys to Talk?
Still, it’s a topic worth considering. The Cowboys would need to work with Prescott to secure the right trade destination, and find him a team that would likely rework his contract to his satisfaction.
Zach Wolchuk of 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and “The Love of the Star” podcast, had this to say about a potential Prescott deal:
“It’s time to have a sit down with the quarterback and say, ‘Dak, it’s time for you to waive your no-trade clause.’ And the Cowboys need to trade Dak Prescott to whoever he would like to go to, a contender, but this thing is done, it’s over. They tried, the coach, it doesn’t matter, he wanted this guy, Schotty was one of his hand-picked people. It hasn’t worked out. This team is so far away.”
But is it far enough away–or self-aware enough–to take a Dak Prescott deal seriously any time soon?
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Trade Chance Faces 1 Big Obstacle