The Dallas Cowboys are heading into one of the most important seasons in team history as it could be their only chance to win the Super Bowl with their current talented roster.
Dallas has one of the best lineups in the NFL, but Dak Prescott and the team have struggled in the postseason despite winning 12 games in three straight regular seasons. Last year, after the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Packers in the Wild Card Round, it was widely believed among NFL insiders that Jerry Jones could blow things up. Instead, he decided to stick with Mike McCarthy, who is nearing the final year of his contract, and start Prescott at quarterback.
Jerry Jones decided to keep Prescott on the sidelines rather than sign him to a new contract extension after he came off one of his best NFL seasons in which he was considered the MVP for most of the season.
He has even publicly stated that he plans to let the Cowboys’ franchise quarterback play out the remaining year of his current contract. Prescott’s 2024 salary cap impact is significant, making it nearly impossible to sign a new player this offseason. Instead, OL Tyron Smith, RB Tony Pollard and other key players on both sides of the ball are gone, along with many other starters for the Dallas Cowboys. Despite his well-known struggles in the postseason, Prescott is the No. 6 quarterback in the NFL in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
If he hits the open market after this season, at least five teams, if not more, will be competing to pay him the highest annual salary of any quarterback in the league. Jones and the Cowboys leadership are taking a big risk, and while some believe the team still intends to sign Prescott to a long-term deal, the quarterback now has the final say and shouldn’t feel pressured to agree. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Prescott acknowledged for the first time that this could be his last season at his position when he stood in the stands after practice, despite avoiding future appearances during the offseason. “I want to be here, but I look up and all the great quarterbacks I’ve ever seen have played for other teams. I have nothing to be scared of,” Prescott said. Maybe one day I’ll be able to do it. Maybe it just wasn’t my choice.
Here’s my level of freedom. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to move on after 2024 with a $224 million contract. Prescott has a lot of power because his current contract has a clause that prohibits him from wearing the franchise tag. Additionally, Prescott has a no-trade clause that prevents Dallas from trading the quarterback without the star’s consent.
For all these reasons, Bleacher Report’s Christopher Knox predicted that Prescott will leave Dallas in 2025 when free agency begins. According to Knox, the team plans to offer Prescott a four-year contract worth $224 million this offseason. Knox believes this will be Prescott’s final season with the Dallas Cowboys. In an article titled “Dak Prescott and Brock Purdy contract projections after Tua Tagovailoa deal” published on July 26, 2024, Knox said, “If they had waited, the Cowboys could have seen Prescott, (Jared) Goff and (Trevor) Lawrence sign contract extensions.”
“The deal with Tagovailoa is done. Even if Prescott doesn’t try to top the market, he’ll need at least $53.2 million per year. Prescott will probably get that, but he probably won’t get it from Dallas.
Knox continued, “The contract includes a no-tag, no-trade clause, so he can play for $55.1 million in salary cap this season and become a free agent in 2025.” “A breakup between Dallas and Prescott seems inevitable,” he wrote. “The question is which team is going to pay the three-time Pro Bowler when they absolutely need a quarterback in 2025.”
The Dallas Cowboys need to make some key decisions as soon as possible. CeeDee Lamb needs to sign a new contract through the 2024 season. Once that’s done, Jerry and Stephen Jones can focus on finding a way to keep Prescott in the area.
