Dallas Cowboys on the hunt for new quarterback
The Dallas Cowboys made quarterback Dak Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history ahead of the 2024 season, and now they’re in search of his backup.
The Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240 million contract ahead of the 2024 season, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history. He then went on to put up some of the worst stats of his career before suffering a season-ending injury less than mid-way through the season.
This just outlined the need for a reliable backup, which the Cowboys fortunately had. Cooper Rush, the team’s QB2, kept the team from totally tanking. But heading into the 2025 season, Rush and the Cowboys' third quarterback behind him, Trey Lance, are set to become free agents.
Cowboys on the QB hunt
The Cowboys have Prescott under contract at least through the next four seasons, but they’re clearly already thinking about what comes after him, and who might eventually replace him. The mega-contract they gave to him have already had some serious financial ramifications, and it’s not as if it paid off just yet. Reports detailed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' intentions to shift $42 million of Prescott’s 2025 salary into a bonus in order to avoid a $89.8 million cap hit.
Dak Precott holds a league-high $89.9M cap figure with the #Cowboys in 2025.
— Spotrac (@spotrac) January 8, 2025
Even if (when) Dallas processes a full salary conversion, the lowest his cap hit can be for the upcoming season is $52.7M.
Besides that, Jerry’s son and Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones has now said that the team is looking for a new quarterback to develop behind Prescott, and that they’ll search in this year’s draft in April.
“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” Jones said. “I don’t know where that’s going to be...That’s why we gave a [fourth-round pick] for Trey. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.”
Stephen Jones said that re-signing Cooper Rush would be too expensive and that Trey Lance will likely want to move on. So a new backup in the draft it’ll likely be, although they aren’t likely to select one before the third day.
The #Cowboys will look to draft a young quarterback this offseason to sit behind Dak Prescott.
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) February 24, 2025
Trey Lance will likely leave to compete for a starting QB spot. pic.twitter.com/bg8Rfu1hNo
While this year’s draft doesn’t have quite as many high-quality quarterbacks as 2024, there are still some intriguing options. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are expected to go in the top five, but besides them, there are a few others with potential.
Who could the Cowboys draft at quarterback?
The Cowboys have the 12th overall pick in the first round, but will not use that for a quarterback. Still, they have three picks in the top 100 after trading away their fourth-round pick for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo.
Other options for the Cowboys include Jaxson Dart from Ole Miss, Will Howard from Ohio State, Quinn Ewers out of Texas, and Riley Leonard out of Notre Dame.
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