Monday and Tuesday at The Star brimmed with excitement and relief as Dallas Cowboys fans celebrated the team's pivotal move: the signing of All-Pro wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million extension. For a team aiming at consistency and prolonged success, this move ended Lamb's holdout and guaranteed one of the NFL's top pass-catchers remains in Dallas for the foreseeable future.
This strategic signing shifts the Cowboys' focus to another cornerstone of their offense—quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott, heading into the final year of his contract in 2024, remains crucial to the Cowboys' ambitions. Having led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns in 2023, his performance underscores the significance of securing his services for the long term. Notably, Prescott's current contract includes both a no-franchise tag and a no-trade clause, which means Dallas needs to act swiftly if they want to avoid the scenario of Prescott hitting the open market by March 2025.
The Financial Landscape
Prescott's looming contract negotiations come with their own set of complexities, primarily financial. The current landscape finds top quarterbacks like Trevor Lawrence, Jared Goff, and Jordan Love commanding salaries upward of $55 million per year. This sets a high bar for Prescott's potential new deal, especially as the Cowboys juggle their fiscal responsibilities. With $39.6 million in effective cap space anticipated for 2025 and a projected $160.1 million in 2026, Dallas must navigate these waters carefully. Owner Jerry Jones has always emphasized the delicate balance of managing player salaries under the league's salary cap restrictions.
"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," Jones stated, highlighting the inherent challenges of roster management.
Jones's tenure with the Cowboys, which began with his purchase of the team in 1989, has seen varied success with such financial gambits. "Sometimes it’s worked out really well. Sometimes taking those risks will bite you," he acknowledged, reflecting on the unpredictable outcomes of high-stakes contract decisions.
Expectations and Confidence
CeeDee Lamb, fresh off his new extension, spoke confidently about the future, particularly regarding Prescott's contract situation. "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 asserted.
For his part, Prescott has deferred much of the negotiation process to his agent, Todd France, focusing instead on the imminent challenges of the season. "There’ve been conversations back and forth, but for the most part, as y’all know, I let my agent handle that, especially as we get right here into training camp," he said, emphasizing his priority on the upcoming games rather than contract chatter. "The money and all that will take care of itself as it always has." He added a note of assurance regarding the off-field concerns.
Season Opener Priorities
As the Cowboys gear up for their Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Jones stressed the immediate importance of the game over any off-field negotiating. "We’re continuing to, first of all, put all of our focus on what’s coming up here in the next 10 days, two weeks. That game takes priority over anything," he stated.
The Cowboys are not just looking to secure wins on the field but also aiming for stability off it. The forthcoming season holds immense importance for the franchise, not just in terms of performance, but also in laying the groundwork for their future, particularly at the quarterback position. While the 2025 cap space and beyond suggest flexibility, the immediate needs make it imperative to ensure that key players, starting with Prescott, are content and committed.
Jerry Jones’s Cowboys, with their storied history and ambitious future, are at a juncture where strategic decisions and timely actions could shape their trajectory for years to come. With Lamb's extension sealed, ensuring Prescott’s long-term presence will likely dictate the next chapter of Dallas Cowboys football.