Cowboys a ‘Wild Card’ to Make Run at New Star QB in ‘Crash & Burn’ Scenario

Getty One NFL scout thinks the Dallas Cowboys could turn to Colorado's Shedeur Sanders to replace Dak Prescott.

The Dallas Cowboys may need to have a contingency plan if the team is unable to reach a new deal with star quarterback Dak Prescott. Rumors are swirling that one of these paths could be making a run at Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft.

One NFL scout told ESPN’s Jordan Reid that Sanders could be an option for Dallas if the team once again underwhelms in the playoffs.

“With the Dak contract mess happening and struggling to pay their other stars, you better believe that Jerry has it in the back of his mind what the benefits of a young and cheap QB could be for that team if they crash and burn again in the playoffs,” the NFC area scout told ESPN for an August 2, 2024, feature story titled, “2025 NFL draft: Scouts on Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders.”

“Imagine a home-state kid whose dad not only played for your franchise but was a highly successful player, and Shedeur is the type of player that’d embrace the star on the side of his helmet.”

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Is Slated to Be an NFL Free Agent in 2025

Prescott’s situation has heightened pressure as the quarterback has a no-franchise tag clause in his current contract. The quarterback is heading into the final season of a four-year, $160 million deal.

As things stand now, Prescott would be free to sign with a team of his choosing in 2025. To land Sanders as a potential replacement, the Cowboys may need to picking much higher than their typical late first-round spot in the 2025 NFL draft.

The Cowboys Are Being Floated as a ‘Wild-Card Team’ for Colorado Star QB Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 NFL Draft

Reid labeled Dallas as a “wild-card team” for Sanders while adding that the team is more of a “long shot.” The Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants are two other teams the draft analyst termed as fits for Sanders.

“And how about this for a wild-card team — the Dallas Cowboys, who find themselves having to extend Dak Prescott to a massive new contract or start over at the position in 2025,” Reid wrote.

“… Dallas is probably a long shot, even if the Sanders family tries to exert control over Shedeur’s landing spot. The Raiders and Giants seem to be the most logical destinations for Sanders if he proves to be a first-round talent. Las Vegas is particularly intriguing as a team that has playmakers on offense — Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers at receiver and newly drafted tight end Brock Bowers — but major questions at QB.”

Dak Prescott Says Not Playing for the Cowboys Is ‘Not Something to Fear’

More than at any point in his career, Prescott is talking like a quarterback who is okay not wearing a star on his helmet after this season. All this could change if the Cowboys are able to sign Prescott to a lucrative new extension in the coming weeks.

“At the end of the day, it’s a business. I’m going to say it. I want to be here, but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I watch played for other teams,” Prescott told reporters on July 26.

“So, my point in saying that is that that’s not something to fear. That may be a reality for me one day. May not be my decision, so that’s the the freedom that I have.”