The only long-time starter quarterback to enter the NFL’s free agency in 2024 was Kirk Cousins. In 2025, Dak Prescott might come next. Prescott is now on schedule to finish out his current contract in 2024, according to NFL Media, despite lately expressing optimism in landing a new long-term deal with the Dallas Cowboys. An immediate extension is not in the cards.
According to Ian Rapoport, Prescott and the Cowboys have “a mutual understanding of his contract situation,” and “despite him being in a contract year, Dallas has made no offers.” In contrast, team owner Jerry Jones stated that the Cowboys “are where we are, locked and loaded for this year” with reference to a prospective extension during the NFL owners meetings on Tuesday.
Since then, Dallas has reportedly announced that it plans to sign a new contract with Prescott and is “not presently charting a path to let” the quarterback test free agency in 2025. However, Josina Anderson, Senior NFL Insider for CBS Sports HQ, has added that no talks are “imminent.”
The news is a sharp contrast to how Prescott presented the matter to reporters earlier this month, when he stated that he was “definitely confident” that he would sign a new contract with Dallas before the 2024 season.
“Obviously it helps the team,” he said at the time. “It’s important for the (salary-cap) numbers. I’ve heard Jerry say that. … Both sides understand that. Everything is great. It’ll happen.”
Since then, Jones has significantly changed his mind about the Cowboys being “all in” for the 2024 season. This week, he revealed that Dallas might need to “do more with (less)” due to financial constraints. In contrast, Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million agreement in 2021, meaning he would owe more money in 2024 than all other quarterbacks in the NFL combined.
It should be mentioned that Prescott’s current contract has no-tag and no-trade conditions. This means that after the 2024 season, if there isn’t a deal extended or he can’t sign a trade before the deadline, the ninth-year veteran will become a free agent.
In 2023, Prescott had one of his best seasons ever, leading the NFL in touchdown passes (36) and led Dallas to their third consecutive postseason participation. For the second time in three years, he and the Cowboys were eliminated in the postseason, and he will be looking for just his third career playoff victory as he approaches 2024.
