NFL
Are the Cowboys willing to let Dak Prescott leave? Who would they replace him with?
Quarterback Prescott has one year left on his current contract, which is one of the most lucrative in the NFL.
There has been plenty of speculation that Dak Prescott’s time with the Dallas Cowboys could be up at the end of next season, and that the Texans could allow the 30-year-old to leave despite him being rated by many as one of the strongest quarterbacks in the NFL.
How much does Dak Prescott earn with the Cowboys?
Prescott has just one year left on his current contract, which he signed in 2021. The deal was worth $160 million, with $126 million guaranteed over four years, making him the second highest-paid quarterback in the history of the league. In that time, he has consistently impressed, playing a huge role in the Cowboys becoming one of the best offensive teams in the NFL in the last few years.
Reports have claimed owner Jerry Jones intends to let Prescott run down the last year of his contract, and that Dallas could go down another route when it comes to putting a team together in the future.
Why would the Cowboys let Prescott leave?
The thinking behind that theory is that Prescott’s huge contract is prohibitive when it comes to recruitment in other areas of the team, which need strengthened if the Cowboys are to have any hope of a first Super Bowl since 1995.
Despite relatively little postseason success, the quarterback’s constant presence in top-10 stats lists mean he is likely to be able to command a minimum of $50 million per season when he negotiates his next deal, whether that’s with the Cowboys or one of their rivals.
But if he stays put, that would worsen the perceived position the Texans find themselves in.
What has Jerry Jones said about Prescott staying with Dallas?
At the start of the month, however, both Jones and Prescott spoke of their desire to get a new deal over the line, with the Cowboys owner making things crystal clear.
“We want Dak Prescott. That’s that. I think there are a handful or more quarterbacks playing who haven’t won a Super Bowl that will win a Super Bowl. I think Dak is one of them. I’m firm there. He’s one of the ones who can.”
That does seem to be that, then. Right?
Who could the Cowboys replace Prescott with?
If, though, things don’t go according to plan due to finances rather than desire, Dallas are being tipped to replace Prescott for the 2025 season with Colorado Buffaloes star quarterback Shedeur Sanders, according to Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings’ latest 2025 NFL mock draft.
The son of two-time Super Bowl winner Deion Sanders, Sanders Jr. threw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while completing 69.3% of his passes in 11 appearances in 2023.
Field Yates, ESPN’s NFL draft analyst, has tipped the young quarterback to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft because of his “elite pocket passing” and ability to “carve up a defence when given time and space”. Would the Cowboys be able to get him? Much will depend on how they fare in the 2024 season, which Prescott, ironically, will have a huge say in.