The Dallas Cowboys have placed oneself in a difficult situation. Since Dak Prescott took over as the starting quarterback in 2016, Dallas has emerged as one of the NFL’s most peculiar oddities. Every season, Prescott plays as well as any quarterback in the NFL through the first 17 games, but he falters in the postseason and the Cowboys are eliminated early. However, it felt different last year. After splitting from Kellen Moore, Mike McCarthy took over play calling, and the offense ran wild. The best QB/WR combination in the NFL came from Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb, who were named to the First Team All-Pro in 2023.

Dak Prescott wrapped up one of his best NFL seasons and entered the regular season as a strong MVP candidate. With 4,516 passing yards (third most), 36 touchdowns (first most), nine interceptions, and a QBR of 72.7 (second in the NFL), the Dallas Cowboys quarterback led the NFL in several important categories. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys brass thus found themselves in an all too familiar situation at the end of the season. Prescott’s current major contract is almost up, so Dallas needs to either sign him to a new long-term agreement or let him finish out his remaining year to give him the most leverage after the 2024 season.

Prescott is rated by PFF as the No. 6 quarterback in the NFL going into 2024, despite his postseason struggles. The only players ranked ahead of him are Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, and Justin Herbert. In the regular season, he had the second-best passing grade (89.8), behind only Tua Tagovailoa. Under duress, his 73.5 passing grade was the highest. He had the highest number of big-time throws in the NFL during the regular season—37—and the lowest turnover-worthy play rate—2.0%—among quarterbacks with at least 400 dropbacks. Despite a subpar performance towards the end of the season, Prescott was accurate, aggressive, and efficient.

Prescott is in complete control, so Jerry Jones and the Dallas decision-makers are faced with a huge decision. Prescott’s asking price increased after Trevor Lawrence signed a contract that pays him the same amount of money as Joe Burrow. As of 2024, Lawrence holds the 12th spot on PFF’s QB ranking.

Dallas Cowboys Insider Reveals Dak Prescott’s Asking Price Has Gone Up

Had Jones and his associates exercised sound judgment, they would have signed Prescott to an extension as soon as the season ended. This would have allowed the Cowboys to add new players and probably acquired Prescott for a lower price. Rather than taking action, Jones remained silent and, similar to what is happening with CeeDee Lamb right now, he waited for other teams to offer their players big new contracts, which increased the market and cost he would have to pay to retain his best players as Dallas Cowboys players.

After Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars agreed to an incredible five-year, $275 million extension this week, a new report surfaced this week claiming that Prescott had seemingly changed his mind about his contract and is now looking to blow the bank. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network claims that Prescott is requesting an astounding $60 million annually. Given that Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow each earn $55 million annually, Prescott may be expecting a sizable salary.

Our Partners

Mayfield Sports Marketing

To arrange for Green Bay Packers players or alumni to make a corporate appearance or promote a product, contact Mayfield Sports Marketing at 262-366-8188. Our booking agents will negotiate the best price for your preferred sports speaker on your behalf. Top athletes are known to be reserved for speaking engagements at trade exhibitions and events by Mayfield Sports Marketing. Please give us a call to find out more about the booking fees and appearance costs for Packers players or alumni. Sports writer Sean Labar has more than a decade of experience covering college and NFL football. After earning a journalism degree from Towson University, he has written and worked for a number of publications, including Sports Illustrated, On3, Saturday Down South, and OutKick.

In 2023, Sean joined Gridiron Heroics with a focus on covering college and NFL football. His main areas of interest are the Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears. He covers the Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, Colorado Buffaloes, Ole Miss Rebels, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Colorado Buffaloes in college football. At the moment, Sean lives in Virginia with Wally and Reagan, his two rescue dogs.