The Dallas Cowboys did it yet again and Dak Prescott — with the season on the line and legitimate expectations for a Super Bowl run from smart people both inside the Dallas building and media/analysts from outside — believed this 2023 squad was different.
Why?
Prescott was in the discussion for NFL MVP this season and closed out arguably the best regular season of his career. The Cowboys entered the wildcard round matchup as two-score favorites over the Green. Bay Packers, who have a first-year starting QB and the youngest roster in the NFL.
Dak Prescott closed out the 2023 regular season ranked in the top five in several major categories for NFL QB. He came into Sunday’s playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers with 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).
Although some rolled their eyes when Jerry Jones and company decided to fire Kellen Moore at the end of last season — as he’s regarded as one of the up and coming young and brilliant offensive minds — head coach Mike McCarthy took over play calling and the Dallas Cowboys offense looked elite for the majority of the year.
Finally, Prescott and CeeDee Lamb found the perfect chemistry and emerged as arguably the top QB/WR tandem in the league.
Beyond Dak Prescott and the explosive offense that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game and finished with 77 touchdowns in the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys had a defense that finished the season ranked 5th in the NFL.
After another disappointing early exit in the playoffs, the Dallas brass entered the offseason with more question marks than answers.
Initially, the expectation was Jerry Jones and company would sign Prescott to a contract extension to free up cap space and keep the core of their star players in place.
But in a recent development, reports have confirmed both Prescott and the Cowboys are going to let their franchise QB finish out his current deal, making him a free agent after 2024.
Dallas Cowboys Predicted To Replace Dak Prescott With Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
USA Today is already looking ahead to 2025 and made the prediction Prescott won’t do enough in 2024 to earn a new contract with the Cowboys so Dallas will be seeking a new franchise QB after this season.
And in typical Jerry Jones fashion, USA Today’s mock draft has the Cowboys making a major splash next April, bringing in Colorado QB Shadeur Sanders, the son of NFL Hall of Fame CB Deion Sanders who played some of his career in Dallas.
“While there’s plenty of time for Dak Prescott to iron out an agreement to stay in Dallas for the foreseeable future, the eight-year veteran hasn’t engaged in any contract talks yet and can force his way onto the free-agent market – where he’d be sure to command an astronomical payday,” the site noted this week.
“If the nightmare scenario somehow materializes for Jerry Jones, having Sanders take the reins to the Cowboys’ attack would be a fascinating possibility.”
USA Today’s Curt Popejoy declared Sanders, “the most polarizing prospect in the country.”
Will Shedeur Sanders Be Available For The Dallas Cowboys In The 2025 NFL Draft?
While everything is speculation as of now, it’s safe to assume the Cowboys will win at least 8-9 games in 2024 so they won’t have one of the top picks in the first round next year unless they trade for it.
“I’m biased, but I don’t see a quarterback that’s better than me,” Sanders told Sports Illustrated’s Brice Butler during Super Bowl week. “I don’t see a quarterback that went through as much adversity as me, that had four [offensive coordinators] in four years.
“Coming from an HBCU, coming to a Power Five [program], having real pressure on me. A lot of people don’t understand, that’s a lot more adversity than you think just even being the son of Deion Sanders.”
