Monday and Tuesday at The Star were abuzz with excitement and relief for Dallas Cowboys fans and the organization alike. The exhilaration stemmed from the signing of the 2023 All-Pro wide receiver, CeeDee Lamb, to a four-year, $136 million extension, finally ending Lamb's holdout and securing one of the NFL's premier pass-catchers for the foreseeable future.
With Lamb's contract drama resolved, the focus now inevitably shifts to another essential component of the Cowboys' offensive machine—quarterback Dak Prescott. Set to enter the final year of his contract in 2024, Prescott's future is undeniably the next critical issue for Dallas to address.
Prescott's Pivotal Role
Prescott demonstrated his prowess in 2023 by leading the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns, cementing his status as one of the league's elite quarterbacks. "You look at our numbers together, they're at the top of the charts. I have no doubt that they're going to get a deal done," Lamb confidently stated, reflecting his belief that an extension for Prescott is inevitable. "We all know that I want Dak here. Jerry [Jones] wants Dak here, too, so let's just get this under control and kill the speculation and let's go win."
But the road to securing Prescott's future with the Cowboys is riddled with complexity. His current contract, which includes both a no-franchise tag and a no-trade clause, suggests that Prescott would hit the open market by March 2025 if no extension is reached. None of the Cowboys' other quarterbacks, including Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, are under contract for 2025, adding another layer of urgency to the negotiations.
Financial Considerations
Financial considerations are at the forefront of contract negotiations, as always in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love command contracts with the highest average annual salary in the league—$55 million per year. The Cowboys currently have $39.6 million in effective cap space available for 2025, and a projected $160.1 million in cap space in 2026. Balancing these numbers to retain top talent like Prescott is both an art and a science, a point emphasized by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. "You’ve always got to remind everybody that this is a zero-sum game. Any dollar one player gets is a dollar another one doesn’t get," Jones remarked. "If you can get the most and the best players out there for the least amount of the cap, you’re doing your very best job."
Jones has seen both success and failure in managing salary cap restrictions. "Sometimes it’s worked out really well. Sometimes taking those risks will bite you,” he explains, underscoring the inherent risks in these financial maneuvers. But one thing remains clear: the upcoming season and Prescott's performance will heavily influence the future direction of the team's roster management strategies.
On the Horizon
For now, the immediate priority for the Cowboys is the impending season opener. "We’re continuing to, first of all, put all of our focus on what’s coming up here in the next 10 days, two weeks. That game [Week 1 at the Cleveland Browns] takes priority over anything," Jones emphasized. The sentiment is echoed by Prescott himself, who remains calm and composed about his contract situation. “There’ve been conversations back and forth, but for the most part, as y’all know, I let my agent (Todd France) handle that, especially as we get right here into training camp," said Prescott. "The money and all that will take care of itself as it always has."
As the Cowboys prepare to kick off what promises to be a pivotal season, the spotlight will undoubtedly remain on their star quarterback and the front office's maneuvers to secure his future. The intricate balance of maintaining a competitive roster under salary cap constraints has never been more crucial, and the decisions made in the coming months will undoubtedly shape the Cowboys’ trajectory for years to come.