Monday and Tuesday at The Star were a whirlwind of excitement for Dallas Cowboys fans, as the team signed All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a lucrative four-year, $136 million extension. This agreement brings an end to Lamb's holdout and secures the services of one of the NFL's elite pass-catchers for the foreseeable future. Yet, while fans rejoice over Lamb's commitment, the spotlight inevitably shifts to another key player—quarterback Dak Prescott.
Entering the final year of his contract in 2024, Prescott has formidable statistics on his side, having led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns in 2023. But the stakes are high, as his current contract includes both a no-franchise tag and a no-trade clause, setting the stage for potential free agency by March 2025 if an extension isn’t reached. This timeline injects urgency into the negotiations, with none of the Cowboys' other quarterbacks, including Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, under contract for 2025.
The Financial Puzzle
Financial considerations are paramount, as the Cowboys navigate the intricate landscape of NFL salary cap management. The organization currently possesses $39.6 million in effective cap space for 2025, with a more substantial $160.1 million projected for 2026. Balancing these figures while securing key talent is no small feat.
Jerry Jones, the Cowboys' owner since 1989, is fully aware of this delicate balance. “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. He added, “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. Sometimes it’s worked out really well. Sometimes taking those risks will bite you.”
Quarterback Market Dynamics
The broader NFL quarterback market serves as a backdrop to the Cowboys' negotiations. Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love currently hold contracts with the highest average annual salary in the league, each amounting to $55 million per year. These figures set a high bar for Prescott's upcoming contract discussions, making the Cowboys' financial strategizing even more critical.
CeeDee Lamb, reflecting on his own contract resolution and its implications for Prescott, asserted, “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. 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.”
Focus on the Field
For now, though, practicalities on the field take precedence. As Week 1 approaches, with a game against the Cleveland Browns, Jones emphasized the importance of upcoming matches over contractual dilemmas. “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 stated.
Prescott, for his part, remains composed. “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,” he said. He further reassured fans and the organization alike by stating, “The money and all that will take care of itself as it always has.”
As one of the NFL’s premier franchises enters yet another season, the combination of retaining star talent like Lamb and resolving the complexities surrounding Prescott's future will be pivotal. Yet, amid the contract negotiations and financial planning, the on-field focus remains crystal clear: win now and let the details off the field iron themselves out in due course.