The Dallas Cowboys succeeded once more, and Dak Prescott thought that this 2023 team was different since the season was on the line and there were reasonable expectations for a Super Bowl run from both the media and pundits outside the Dallas building and from wise people inside.
Why?
Prescott finished what was likely his finest regular season ever and was considered for NFL MVP this year. The Cowboys were two-score favorites against the Green Bay Packers, who boast the youngest roster in the NFL and a first-year starting quarterback, going into their wildcard round game on Saturday.
Dak Prescott finished the 2023 NFL regular season ranked among the top five in a number of important passing metrics. Prior to facing the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in the playoffs, he had accumulated 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions, and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).
Despite the fact that Kellen Moore was one of the young, talented offensive minds of the future, many people rolled their eyes when Jerry Jones and company decided to fire him at the end of the previous season, play calling was taken over by head coach Mike McCarthy, and the Dallas Cowboys offense looked outstanding for the most of the season.
Ultimately, Prescott and CeeDee Lamb developed a great rapport and became perhaps the best quarterback/wide receiver combination in the league.
The Dallas Cowboys featured a defense that concluded the season rated fifth in the NFL, which went along with an explosive offense led by Dak Prescott that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game and finished with 77 touchdowns in the regular season.
Following yet another heartbreaking early playoff defeat, the Dallas brass went into the offseason with more questions than answers.
At first, it was thought that Jerry Jones and the team would extend Prescott’s deal in order to clear financial space and retain the majority of their best players.
However, it has now come to light that Prescott and the Cowboys intend to let their franchise quarterback play out the remaining years on his contract. If they are unable to come to an agreement before the 2024 season ends, Prescott will become a free agency after that.
Despite being one of the NFL’s finest quarterbacks, Prescott has had a disastrous playoff campaign, throwing seven interceptions in seven games and finishing with a 2-5 record.
Jerry Jones seems to have reached a breaking point where he wants to decide whether to part ways and start over with someone fresh, or he wants to watch his franchise quarterback establish himself on the biggest stage.
The Cowboys Wire of USA Today is making predictions about Prescott’s possible successors. Trevor Lawrence, a former first-round selection by the Jaguars, is a very intriguing candidate to be the Dallas Cowboys’ next franchise quarterback.
Ranchers K.D. Drummond, a wire writer, believes Lawrence might be a temporary or permanent fix at QB:
“The third-year starter regressed from his top-10 MVP campaign of 2022 and was unable to lead Jacksonville to double-digit victories.
His fifth-year option was exercised by the Jaguars, so the Cowboys would have to put him on the trade market to get his services. However, if the former first-round pick doesn’t improve, he might be traded if Jacksonville takes a different route in the draft the following year, or he might become unrestricted in 2026 if Dallas signs a bridge quarterback in the event that Prescott leaves town.
The Dallas Cowboys will receive a solid franchise quarterback with a ton of upside for a lot less money than Prescott if they can somehow pull off a deal for Lawrence.
The value of his option for the fifth year is $25.7 million. Lawrence is expected to receive a $278 million contract extension at Spotrac for a period of six years. That’s $46 million a year over an extended period of time.
When compared to the website’s Prescott projection of four years and $225 million, or $56.25 million year, it represents a relative steal.
Although it seems unlikely that the Cowboys will take Lawrence’s offer to be their starting quarterback seriously, it’s still an interesting scenario to watch.
