Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is headed into the final season of the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. He is currently set to count against the team’s books for an astronomical $55.1 million in 2024, which is more than every player in the NFL except for Deshaun Watson. Prescott’s contract also voids after the upcoming season, and once it does, he will be an unrestricted free agent as there is a clause in the contract that prevents the Cowboys from franchise-tagging him next offseason.
And yet, even after owner Jerry Jones infamously declared that the Cowboys will be “all in” for the 2024 season, the team has not touched Prescott’s contract, other than convert a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and clear $4 million from this year’s cap. They have also yet to extend either wide receiver CeeDee Lamb or linebacker Micah Parsons to create additional cap maneuverability.
Also, instead of adding pieces in free agency, as was expected following Jones’ all-in declaration, Dallas let starters Tony Pollard, Tyron Smith, Tyler Biadasz, Michael Gallup, Dorance Armstrong and Jayron Kearse leave in free agency, while also losing Leighton Vander Esch to retirement and allowing Stephon Gilmore to remain unsigned. They have signed just two outside free agents all offseason, inking linebacker Eric Kendricks to a one-year deal and then signing journeyman running back Royce Freeman earlier this week.
Coupled with the team bringing back head coach Mike McCarthy on a lame-duck contract and signing defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and the new defensive staff to one-year deals, it looks a lot less like the Cowboys are “all in” than it does that they are preparing to reset almost everything after the 2024 season. And Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones added more fuel to that fire on Friday by showering No. 3 quarterback Trey Lance with praise, and even making a favorable comparison to Prescott.
“He’s [Lance] done nothing but excite us even more as he’s worked here all of last season and in the offseason, in terms of his work ethic, his skill level. We’re very pleased,” Jones said during a radio appearance, via The Athletic. “He exhibits everything you would think a top-five, top-10 pick would exhibit. … Trey exhibits similar type work ethic [to Prescott]. Obviously Trey is a really good athlete, and the most important thing is his arm….
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