The Dallas Cowboys could be making a huge mistake with their negotiations (or lack thereof) with the team’s top players this offseason. As Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott continues to wait for a contract extension, his asking price is only increasing.
According to multiple reports, the Jacksonville Jaguars signed quarterback Trevor Lawrence to a five-year, $275 million deal with $200 million guaranteed. Lawrence is the latest quarterback to sign a massive extension, which makes Dallas’ decision to wait out a new deal with Prescott look even more peculiar with each passing day.
Projecting Dak Prescott’s Potential Deal With the Dallas Cowboys
While many will point to Prescott’s lack of postseason success as a strike against him, he has clearly established himself as a top quarterback in the NFL. Prescott led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns last season, as well as finishing third in the league with 4,516 passing yards.
Although the Cowboys fell short in the postseason once again, Prescott continues to play at an elite level deserving of a massive contract extension. Prescott clearly understands that the quarterback market will only increase with each new deal that is signed.
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That is likely why he is comfortable waiting out a new deal with the Cowboys — or another team if he is allowed to hit the open market in 2025.
Given Prescott’s elite level of play in recent years, he will likely reset the quarterback market whenever he signs a new deal.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on his contract situation pic.twitter.com/JM6f4T3PO5
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 19, 2024
The Cowboys are likely afraid to commit a ton of long-term money to a 30-year-old quarterback who has failed to take them far in the postseason. But they are also lagging behind in contract discussions with other star players such as CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.
As Dallas continues to wait to pay its best players, the Cowboys are forcing themselves to likely reset the market with all three stars. When Prescott eventually signs a new deal, it’s fair to speculate he’ll very likely surpass the current top average annual value of $55 million at the quarterback position.
Potential Landing Spots for Dak Prescott in 2025
Given Dallas’ lack of urgency to get a long-term contract extension done with Prescott, there is seemingly a chance he will hit the open market next offseason. While it’s rare for a 31-year-old star quarterback to hit free agency, Prescott would have quite a robust market.
While many teams are hopeful that they selected their next franchise quarterbacks in the 2024 NFL Draft, there are several teams that could need a starting quarterback in 2025. Which teams could be a potential landing spot for Prescott next offseason?
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are seemingly a playoff contender every season during Mike Tomlin’s tenure as head coach. But quarterback will be a major question next offseason as Russell Wilson and Justin Fields have just one year remaining on their current contracts.
Prescott would make a ton of sense as a potential target for the Steelers in 2025. He would give the franchise certainty at the quarterback position, which they have been lacking since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement in January 2022.
Las Vegas Raiders
While the Las Vegas Raiders appear to be heading in the right direction under head coach Antonio Pierce, the franchise has major questions at quarterback.
The Raiders are apparently comfortable going into the upcoming season with Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew as the top two quarterbacks on the team’s depth chart.
It’s safe to assume that neither will be Las Vegas’ long-term solution at the most important position in football. Prescott would potentially fill a void on a playoff-ready roster similar to what Tom Brady once did for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
New York Giants
It would be quite ironic to see Prescott depart Dallas just to sign with the New York Giants. Yet it could certainly be a possibility after the Giants failed to address the position during the 2024 NFL Draft. Now, the Giants will move forward by giving Daniel Jones likely one final chance to prove that he is the team’s franchise quarterback.
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If the Giants fail to show much improvement this upcoming season, the franchise could choose to go in an entirely different direction from top to bottom. Yet, the team’s defense is stacked with intriguing talent, and New York could decide to sign Prescott in an effort for a quick turnaround after years of disappointment.