It’s been the most uneventful yet eventful offseason for the Dallas Cowboys in quite some time.
Uneventful because Jerry Jones and the front office haven’t done a whole lot of anything to improve the team.
Despite promising at the start of the offseason that the organization was going to be “all-in” for the 2024 season, Dallas has been one of the most inactive teams in all of football.
Yet the offseason has been eventful when it comes to drama and intrigue, mainly having to do with the futures of their three major stars.
Quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons all need to have their contract situations addressed.
The most pressing of all is Prescott, who will be entering the final year of his deal.
No matter what is said publicly, there is clear frustration from Dak and his camp over the lack of progress in negotiations.
Jones and the front office have stated that they want Prescott to remain a Cowboy for life – but so far, their actions are not backing up their words.
In fairness, it’s hard to blame the Cowboys for not being over-anxious to extend Prescott’s contract.
After all, there are serious questions and concerns over if should be the long-term answer going forward.
Considering all of the criticism he faces, you could make the argument that Prescott is underrated if anything. He’s been a very productive regular season quarterback.
However, Cowboy fans are getting sick and tired of hearing about the regular season.
The name of the game is to win in the playoffs – and this is where Prescott has failed over and over and over.
The Cowboys may treat 2024 as a true “prove-it” year with Prescott. While risky, it would be hard to blame them for taking that approach.
But whether it ends up being this offseason or next, it’s hard to imagine Jones and company not ultimately inking Prescott to an extension.
Assuming that extension does indeed end up happening, Prescott figures to be in line for a massive deal.
As a matter of fact, some think it could be a historic deal.
Appearing on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” FOX Sports’ Nick Wright weighed in on Prescott’s future, predicting that the quarterback’s next contract could be the largest in NFL history.
“His next contract, whoever gives it to him, is going to be earth shattering,” Wright declared.
He further speculated that Prescott’s new deal could be worth $60+ million per year.
Currently, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow holds the title of the NFL’s highest-paid player with an annual salary of $55 million.
Prescott’s potential contract, as envisioned by Wright, would eclipse Burrow’s by nearly 10 percent, setting a new benchmark for quarterback salaries.
This projection places Prescott in elite company, surpassing the earnings of other top-tier quarterbacks who have led their teams to Super Bowl appearances in recent years.
Prescott has been a cornerstone for the Cowboys, demonstrating improvement year-after-year. However, despite his regular-season success, Prescott’s playoff record has been a point of contention, and it adds a layer of complexity to his contract situation.
The Cowboys are undoubtedly deep-diving into whether they want to make such a massive long-term commitment to a quarterback who has yet to prove that he’s among the “A-list” at the position.
There are many who believe in Prescott and think it’s only a matter of time before he breaks through and proves that he can be a Super Bowl winning quarterback.
While others think that Prescott simply “is who he is” – and that he’ll never be able to get over the hump and elevate the team to where they’re aiming to go.
What are your thoughts on Wright’s comments?
Do you think a team – whether it be the Cowboys or someone else – will end up making Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history?
Of course, that would only be a temporary title if they do. After all, the salary cap going up and up means that contracts will continue to skyrocket.
But the $60 million question is, is Dak REALLY worth it?
Is he capable of being a true franchise quarterback who will deliver Lombardi’s to Dallas???