The Dallas Cowboys have taken a risky approach when it comes to retaining their biggest stars for the future, particularly QB Dak Prescott.
Instead of inking Prescott to a new extension following one of his best NFL seasons where he was leading the MVP conversation for most of the year, Jerry Jones has opted to sit on his hands and even stated publicly the plan is to let the Cowboys franchise QB play out the final year of his current deal.
While Prescott’s postseason struggles have been well-documented, he enters 2024 as the No. 6 QB in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus and if he hits the open market following this season, there will be a minimum of five teams, likely more, lining up to make him the highest paid QB in the NFL.
Jones and the Dallas Cowboys brass is taking a major risk, and while some insiders believe the organization still plans to reach a long-term deal with Prescott, the QB now holds all the power and shouldn’t have any urgency to sign.
Prescott lead the NFL in several key categories in 2023 with 4,516 passing yards (third), 36 touchdowns (1st), nine interceptions and a QBR of 72.7 (second in the NFL).
His 89.8 passing grade in the regular season ranked second only to Tua Tagovailoa. His 73.5 passing grade under pressure was No. 1. His 37 big-time throws in the regular season were the most in the NFL, and his 2.0% turnover-worthy play rate was the lowest among quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks.
Prescott was efficient, aggressive and accurate, albeit with a poor showing to end the year.
So now, Jerry Jones and the Dallas decision makers have a massive decision on their hands but Prescott holds all the power. Now that Trevor Lawrence just inked a deal that is paying him the same kind of money Joe Burrow is getting, Prescott’s price tag only got higher and reports have surfaced that he’s now demanding $60 million per year.
At this point, there’s a very real possibility Prescott can hand pick the team that will be more than happy to pay him what he’s asking and Bleacher Report believes the Cowboys franchise passer will be a perfect fit with a QB-needy team in the AFC West that needs a franchise signal caller that can compete with Patrick Mahomes,
Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Predicted To Sign With Las Vegas Raiders In 2025
When asked about his urgency to get a deal done with Dallas recently, Prescott didn’t sound like a man in a rush to get a deal done to stay with the Cowboys.
“This is the urgency you should always have, to be honest,” he said to reporters. “Maybe guys who wouldn’t normally feel it, feel it. I don’t mind it. I’ve been in this position before. I’m a gambling man. I’ll gamble on myself and my guys.”
Prescott sounds like a quarterback who knows that he will have a list of teams willing to pay him high-end starting quarterback money regardless of what happens in the 2024 campaign.
And in a recent article from Bleacher Report, there’s a belief the Dallas Cowboys may watch Prescott walk after 2024 when he will join the Las Vegas Raiders.
Among the five teams that should monitor Dak Prescott’s situation, the Las Vegas Raiders are the only squad that will have a true quarterback competition at training camp, which underscores why they need to approach the 2025 quarterback market with urgency.
This offseason, the Raiders signed journeyman signal-caller Gardner Minshew to compete against second-year pro Aidan O’Connell for the starting job.
In five seasons, Minshew has performed well as a starter in stretches, but with the Indianapolis Colts last year, he lost a quarterback battle to then-rookie Anthony Richardson. Thus far, Minshew “is still getting his feet wet with his new team,” per The Athletic’s Vic Tafur.
In all likelihood, the Raiders’ answer at quarterback isn’t on the roster right now.
Minshew has bounced around the league over the previous few years. O’Connell has below-average athleticism at a time when quarterbacks have to be more mobile to evade bigger, stronger and faster defenders in the pocket.
Because of their defense, which ranked ninth in scoring last year and now features newcomer Christian Wilkins, the Raiders may not be bad enough to bottom out and get a top-10 draft pick in 2025.
Therefore, general manager Tom Telesco may have to spend heavily on a veteran quarterback to improve the offense’s outlook. The Raiders have a projected $24.2 million in cap space next offseason, per Over the Cap. They could restructure Wilkins’ and Davante Adams’ contracts to save an additional $37.8 million in cap space.
This would certainly be a major loss for the Dallas Cowboys, but the more time that passes without a new deal, the more likely Prescott signs with a new team after the 2024 season.
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