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What are the implications of Jared Goff’s $212M extension for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys?
The discussion around the Dallas Cowboys’ interpretation of a “all-in” drive ought to have concluded on Monday. That’s mainly because of the unending guidance from the Detroit Lions’ ownership, which culminated in a two-month period of staff and player extensions with a $212 million, four-year contract for quarterback Jared Goff.
The Goff agreement, which comes with $170 million in guaranteed money, is the most significant offseason development thus far. It puts the Cowboys and Dak Prescott in a difficult position. Prescott becomes the most paid player in NFL history at the time of his signing if Dallas follows one course.
If, on the other hand, the Cowboys decide against making that commitment and allow Prescott to enter free agency the next summer, a different team will pay him the greatest amount of any player in NFL history.
The only way to go from those two options would be if Prescott signs a smaller contract with Dallas than he would if he were to go undrafted in ten months.
Numerous people with firsthand knowledge of these situations, including team officials and well-known NFL agents who have negotiated contracts for elite quarterbacks, all concur. You have all witnessed Dallas lag behind the competition in terms of Prescott and wideout CeeDee Lamb’s extensions.
One well-known agent stated on Monday night, “They’re in the same situation Detroit was with Goff, [wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown], and [offensive tackle Penei] Sewell.” “Dallas is just watching the prices rise; Detroit did the work and got things going. They’re behind schedule by a full year on a few deals.
“When in doubt, blame Jerry,” a second well-known agent of the Cowboys’ developing predicament, was added. That Jerry would be Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, who after announcing an early “all-in” drive this offseason retreated into a contract-waiting game.
With the exception of a few inexpensive veteran additions made after the free-agent market fizzled out, the outcome has been months of roster stagnation for the organization.
Some fans are upset about this, especially since there is less and less time left for a Prescott contract without the backup plan of other significant extensions between Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons.
The team, which lost defensive coordinator Dan Quinn this offseason and allowed head coach Mike McCarthy to begin his final season on the field, is now very apprehensive about the future. In all likelihood, the Cowboys will be doing a partial rebuilding in the upcoming offseason, especially if they lose Prescott and decide not to keep McCarthy.
In that case, they would have to look for a new franchise quarterback and completely reassemble the coaching staff under a new head coach.
That is essentially the opposite of what Detroit has done this offseason, as they have signed contract extensions with head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, kept coveted offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for an additional season, and inked new agreements with three key players—Goff, St. Brown, and Sewell.
Not to mention gaining an advantage over the four other quarterbacks who still need to sign extensions: Prescott, Jordan Love of the Green Bay Packers, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins.
Prescott and Lawrence are anticipated to set the standard for the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league after Goff’s contract, and Love and Tagovailoa are anticipated to earn salaries that average more than $50 million annually.
What now occurs with Prescott? There has been no discernible progress toward an extension as of last week, according to two people with knowledge of the talks who spoke with Yahoo Sports. Both sources indicate that negotiations will probably last until the Cowboys’ training camp in Oxnard, California.
Prescott is anticipated to finish out his contract and test free agency if a deal isn’t finalized before leaving Oxnard and returning to Dallas.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, Las Vegas Raiders, and New York Giants are three teams to consider as possible bidders.
The Steelers are currently estimated to be under the 2025 salary ceiling by around $175 million, and they do not have a starting quarterback locked up beyond 2024. By releasing wide receiver Davante Adams in the upcoming offseason and rearranging a few other contracts, the Raiders will have plenty of salary space.
Additionally, the Giants will have plenty of financial flexibility to pursue a free-agent quarterback because of the deals they have with tight end Darren Waller and quarterback Daniel Jones, both of whom have the option to retire or be cut this summer.
Naturally, those possibilities only open up if Dallas is unable to reach an agreement on a Prescott contract in the upcoming months.
