Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are in no rush to get a new contract, according to sources including Bleacher Report. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as many feel that despite a 12-5 regular season record in 2023, the team is ready to move forward in a new direction.
It also doesn’t help that the Cowboys were already over the salary cap in 2023, and even with the new salary cap news, extending Prescott would be very expensive and difficult to work with, considering how many other veteran players the Cowboys already have on their roster.
With the news that the Cowboys and Dak Prescott aren’t rushing to a deal, the possibility that he will play for a new team next season seems higher every day. But where could he end up? Here are five possibilities.
1. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears have quite a bit of power and leverage in the market right now. They hold the first overall NFL Draft pick and have a quarterback in Justin Fields who is a solid option as either a backup or a starting quarterback until another quarterback can be brought in, particularly because he is still on a rookie contract, which is tens of millions of dollars cheaper than the $45-60 million that Dak Prescott is going to demand next season.
This trade would make a lot of sense for the Cowboys and Bears. The Cowboys get the number one pick in the NFL Draft (likely Caleb Williams), a solid backup just in case Williams is a bust, and save a ton of money. The Bears would get a franchise quarterback they can afford and have very little risk.
2. Washington Commanders
The Commanders have a ton of cap space remaining. Affording Dak Prescott would be no issue for the team at all. The issue is that Commanders don’t have the trade value or player value that the Bears have, although they do have the second overall pick, which if the Cowboys are good going with a QB not Caleb Williams, it could a good deal. Still, if the Cowboys want to get rid of Dak Prescott, making a trade for a bunch of future draft picks and a variety of decent players, particularly on the line of scrimmage, could end up being a good deal.
3. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are going in a new direction on new coach Jerod Mayo. Without a sure quarterback, the Patriots may be willing to throw a bit more for a franchise quarterback than maybe the fair market value.
New England has several players who could add value to the Cowboys, including Christian Barmore, Demario Douglas, and Trent Brown. The Patriots have only seven picks in this year’s draft, making each one valuable for the team. Would they be willing to give up the third overall pick and some players for Dak Prescott? Maybe, but the Cowboys may demand a lot as well.
Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a great first-round pick, with their first pick coming in at 13. This won’t give a ton of value to the Dallas Cowboys, but with a combined 12 picks, it is possible that the Cowboys would be interested in taking 3-4 picks plus some players. Another issue is, the Raiders don’t have a QB that the Cowboys would be interested in. With the 13th pick being the best opportunity for the Cowboys to get, they likely won’t get the good QB pick they want out of that, and Aidan O’Connell isn’t going to do it either.
So why is this on the list? It’s possible that a three-team trade could happen, and with the Raiders with a ton of cap space, they may be in play to land Dak Prescott.
Dallas Cowboys May Keep Dak Prescott
There is, of course, the possibility that Dak Prescott stays with the Cowboys. The Cowboys still hold a lot of the cards in their hand, and if they can negotiate a deal with Dak Prescott that satisfies both sides, there is still a huge chance he stays in Dallas.
Remember, the Cowboys went 12-5 last year. For any other team in the league, this would be more than enough even to consider trading a starting quarterback who threw for more than 4,500 yards. But the Cowboys aren’t any other team, making this decision very interesting.
Conclusion
Regardless of where Dak Prescott ends up, the Dallas Cowboys have a great opportunity to set themselves up for the future. With the salary cap increases, the question is going to come down to how the Cowboys handle the asset of Prescott and whether the best option is to keep him.