Stephen Jones: Dak Prescott's contract is a priority
The Cowboys feel good about their quarterback situation for 2024 with Dak Prescott, Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. They don't feel so good about it beyond this season.
Prescott, Rush and Lance all are free agents in 2025.
“Certainly, Dak is a priority in terms of his contract," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. "Certainly, we’ll be taking a look at Trey. I know Trey will look at his situation as well, in terms of what his options are. I’m sure a lot of that will depend on how everything works out with Dak. Cooper has been a strong backup here for us. But all of those things will just have to play out.”
The Cowboys said last month that the door remains open for a deal to get done this offseason or during the 2024 season with Prescott, but that they have no urgency for now.
Prescott's cap number is $55.445 million for this season, a number that kept the Cowboys quiet in free agency, and his contract includes void years through 2028. If the Cowboys don't sign Prescott to an extension, and the team lets him walk in free agency in 2025, he still will count $40.460 million in dead money against the team's cap in 2025.
Prescott has owned — and maintained — leverage in contract talks since back-to-back franchise tags eventually led to a four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021.
He has no-tag and no-trade clauses in his contract.
The Cowboys sent a fourth-round draft pick to the 49ers for Lance, the third overall pick in 2021, before the start of last season. He did not play a down last season but will compete with Rush for the backup job.
Lance played eight games with four starts for the 49ers before his injury, and that to Jimmy Garoppolo, opened the door for Brock Purdy to grab the starting job in San Francisco and make Lance expendable.
This is a big offseason and preseason for Lance.
