In the event that Dak Prescott chooses not to sign a new contract, the Dallas Cowboys must have backup plans.
The Dallas Cowboys may have to make a decision regarding Dak Prescott’s next deal as the cost keeps rising. Prescott has a four-year, $160 million contract that is about to expire.
On May 13, 2024, Jared Goff decided to stay with the Detroit Lions by signing a new four-year contract worth up to $212 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Contract extensions for experienced quarterbacks are becoming more and more expensive.
Prescott is likely to sign a new contract with the Cowboys in the end despite all the posturing.
However, Dallas would be well to prepare with backup plans in the event that a new contract cannot be reached. K.D. Drummond of USA Today compiled a possible list of alternatives for replacing Prescott by 2025.
The Atlanta Falcons are one team that has an abundance of quarterbacks. Should the Cowboys find themselves in need of a new quarterback during the upcoming offseason, Kirk Cousins, a four-time Pro Bowl quarterback, is a name to keep an eye on.
In a story headlined “8 potential Prescott replacements and the Penix perpendicularity,” published on May 8, 2024, Drummond stated, “There’s still time to make a deal, but it would be foolish to think the front office is not building contingency plans if he should walk in free agency following the season.”
Despite giving Kirk Cousins a $100 million guarantee, Atlanta made the largest free-agency splash in the league by selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. with the eighth overall choice.
They will live together in 2024, but before he has even taken a snap in the Peach State, Cousins becomes an immediate trade possibility the next year.
This makes the veteran one more quarterback on the growing list of players who might wear the star in the upcoming campaign.
Every quarterback candidate was divided into two categories by Drummond: bridge and franchise. Given that the veteran may be more than a one-year rental, Cousins is in the franchise category.
All indications lead to the Cowboys and Prescott sharing the 2024 season, even in the rare event of a split. The problem is that Prescott is subject to a no-trade clause, thus a mid-season trade would require the player’s approval. Additionally adding to the complexity is Prescott’s no-franchise tag rule.
Prescott may therefore become a free agent in the upcoming offseason, putting Dallas at risk of losing the quarterback for nothing.
The Falcons may want to get Michael Penix Jr. onto the field sooner rather than later. Cousins’ four-year, $180 million contract will have three seasons left when the 2025 season begins.
In 2025, Cousins is expected to have a $40 million cap hit. An added benefit is that Cousins’ contract might expire in 2027, meaning the Cowboys would essentially be signing the former Pro Bowl player to a two-year contract.
Now, Cousins might not be the best option if the Cowboys are dissatisfied with Prescott’s lack of success in the postseason. The quarterback has a 1-4 overall record in the playoffs with just one postseason victory in his career.
However, Cousins might be joining a Cowboys club that could be more formidable than the majority of the teams the quarterback has played for in the past. Before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in 2023, Cousins completed 69.5% of his throws for 2,331 yards, 18 touchdowns, and five interceptions while playing in eight games.
The veteran may find interest in Atlanta’s potential trade willingness to transfer Cousins for a respectable return. Drummond continued, “Cousins’ contract is huge; they guaranteed $100 million, but that doesn’t make him untradable.”
If the organization were to move him in the upcoming summer, they could really free up about $2.5 million in 2025 and be relieved of all further responsibilities.
“He’d probably be relatively cheap, compensation wise, and the Cowboys wouldn’t be committing to anything beyond the 2025 season, as that’s the only remaining guaranteed base salary, and it’s a pretty affordable $27.5 million with no roster bonus.”
The Cowboys will have other quarterback options if things get messy with Prescott. Like Cousins, all of these different paths come with their own flaws, just as Prescott possesses.
For Heavy.com, Jonathan Adams covers the NBA and NFL, concentrating on the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Cowboys, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and Philadelphia Eagles. Numerous publications, including NFL.com, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Talk, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated, have highlighted his work.
