There has been much speculation this NFL offseason regarding Dak Prescott’s future with the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott enters 2024 in a contract year, and if he and the Cowboys don’t agree to an extension by the end of the season, their long-time franchise quarterback will hit free agency.
With uncertainty around his contract and future in Dallas, there have been rumblings that the Cowboys could look to find Prescott’s future replacement in the 2024 NFL Draft, and maybe even earlier than expected. This idea, however, has received a lot of criticism, particularly from one former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst.
RGIII Firmly Against the Cowboys Drafting a QB Early
On the latest episode of ESPN’s Get Up, Robert Griffin III was asked about the idea of the Cowboys drafting a QB in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft. It was a plan he thought would be a deplorable decision for them to make.
“If the Dallas Cowboys draft a quarterback in the first round, I would say that’s organizational malpractice,” Griffin starts.
“With Dak Prescott, you either want him or you don’t want him. But what you can’t do is say, ‘hey we’re going to put you in this last year of your deal, you have a huge cap number, we’re not going to extend you, and we’re also not going to give you an offensive line to block for you, a starting running back, or a third wide receiver.'”
“We’re going to say, ‘Go out there, Dak, try to make it happen, good luck.'”
“You can’t not extend Dak, tell him to play on this last year of his deal, and draft a quarterback that’s not going to help him or the Cowboys win this year. It makes absolutely no sense…”
What the Cowboys ultimately do in the first round is up in the air, and time will ultimately tell. However, with the ongoing Prescott situation in flux, questions, theories, and possible scenarios will continue to play out continuously.
Prescott’s Contract Situation
The hiccup in the Cowboys’ offseason plan has seen blame placed at the feet of Prescott and his contract. With an enormous cap number and contract extensions waiting for Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb hovering around, Dallas feels strapped cash-wise.
Whether that’s actually the case or not is up for debate, but the reality is Jerry Jones and the front office are operating as such.
Dallas could extend Prescott and open up more fairly easily. However, with free agency all but over with, there isn’t a rush to do so anymore. Now it becomes a game of chicken between Prescott’s representatives and the Cowboys’ front office.
Prescott has the leverage in this scenario with his large cap hit and the best statistical season of his career. However, the card the Cowboys are seemingly playing is the idea that they aren’t sold on Prescott being their guy of the future, and the hold-up may reflect their hesitation.
This game of cat and mouse and the pursuit of winning the deal has left the Cowboys’ offseason plans in a chokehold, doing no one any favors.
How it all sorts out remains to be seen, but in the middle of this contractual dispute lies a team that is worse now than when the previous season ended, which is never good for business.
KEEP READING: Will CeeDee Lamb Hold Out for a New Contract?
