Excitement and relief filled the air at The Star earlier this week as Dallas Cowboys fans and the organization watched the signing of CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million extension. This deal effectively ended Lamb's holdout and ensured that one of the NFL's premier wide receivers remains in the Cowboys' fold for the foreseeable future.
With Lamb's contract now secured, the spotlight shifts to another critical component of the Cowboys' offensive machine: quarterback Dak Prescott. Entering the final year of his contract in 2024, Prescott led the NFL with an impressive 36 passing touchdowns in the 2023 season, proving his mettle as one of the league's elite signal-callers.
Dak Prescott's Contract Situation
Prescott's current contract features both a no-franchise tag and a no-trade clause, setting the stage for him to hit the open market by March 2025 if an extension isn’t reached. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones underscored the urgency of this situation by emphasizing the importance of the upcoming season opener, noting that "That game [Week 1 at the Cleveland Browns] takes priority over anything."
Complicating matters further is the fact that none of the Cowboys' current backup quarterbacks, including Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, are under contract for 2025. Consequently, the team's immediate focus is on retaining Prescott, which involves balancing financial considerations and salary cap constraints.
The Financial Landscape
As the Cowboys navigate these waters, they must consider the financial landscape of the NFL. Contracts like those of Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love, which carry an annual average salary of $55 million, set a high bar. The Cowboys have $39.6 million in effective cap space to work with in 2025 and a projected $160.1 million in cap space come 2026, adding another layer of complexity to the negotiations.
“You’ve always got to remind everybody that this is a zero-sum game. Any dollar one player gets is a dollar another one doesn’t get,” said Jerry Jones. Understanding this, the Cowboys must make strategic decisions that will benefit the team in both the short and long term.
Securing the Future
CeeDee Lamb, now locked into his new deal, has expressed confidence in the ongoing negotiations with Prescott. “You look at our numbers together, they're at the top of the charts. I have no doubt that they're going to get a deal done. We all know that I want Dak here. Jerry [Jones] wants Dak here, too, so let's just get this under control and kill the speculation and let's go win,” Lamb remarked.
For his part, Prescott has taken a pragmatic approach, stating, “There’ve been conversations back and forth, but for the most part, as y’all know, I let my agent (Todd France) handle that, especially as we get right here into training camp.” He added, “The money and all that will take care of itself as it always has.” Prescott's focus remains on preparing for the season at hand while letting the contract details unfold behind the scenes.
The Larger Organizational Strategy
Managing an NFL roster within the salary cap's constraints requires precision and foresight. Jerry Jones, who purchased the Cowboys in 1989, acknowledges the inherent risks involved. “If you can get the most and the best players out there for the least amount of the cap, you’re doing your very best job,” he explained. He also admitted, “Sometimes it’s worked out really well. Sometimes taking those risks will bite you.”
As the Cowboys move forward, the aim is clear: to secure their key players while maintaining a balanced and competitive roster. With CeeDee Lamb now firmly in place, the focus will undoubtedly remain on getting Dak Prescott's contract discussions sorted, thereby cementing the foundation for what promises to be an exhilarating season of football.