Right now, quarterback Dak Prescott and coach Mike McCarthy don’t have contracts with the Dallas Cowboys beyond this season.
This also applies to six-time All-Pro right guard Zack Martin, second receiver Brandin Cooks, and longtime pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. The list goes on.
The Cowboys have gone 28 seasons without advancing past the divisional round of the NFC playoffs. The team is eager to reach the NFL’s biggest stage again.
The 2024 season feels like a make-or-break year, and Prescott is fully aware of this as he approaches his ninth season opener, which is this Sunday at Cleveland.
“If we all think about the last year of our deals, it’s going to create some pressure,” Prescott said. “But when you see so many people in that situation, it makes it a bit easier to focus and come together and say it’s up to us to change things, to be here next year.”
Prescott’s situation might change since he mentioned that talks about a new contract are ongoing as he enters the final year of his franchise-record $160 million, four-year deal.
Quarterback salaries are now closer to $60 million per year, compared to the $40 million Prescott earned in 2021, when he was still recovering from a serious ankle injury that affected his 2020 season.
Prescott was the MVP runner-up last season after leading the NFL with a career-high 35 touchdown passes.
However, his playoff record dropped to 2-5 after he threw a pick-6 and Dallas had a rough first half in a 48-32 home wild-card loss to Green Bay, which was a surprise to everyone, including owner Jerry Jones.
Prescott will have no trouble getting a high salary if he becomes a free agent, but he has consistently stated that he wants to achieve what Tony Romo could not for the Cowboys in the decade before him: a significant playoff success.
The 31-year-old added on Thursday that winning a Super Bowl with any other team wouldn’t mean as much. Romo had similar feelings when he chose to retire after Prescott took his place due to Romo’s back injury in 2016.
While Prescott’s time in Dallas may not be running out, the question will persist until he signs a new contract.
“Obviously Dak is doing a great job of not letting it affect his work, but I know it can be tough personally,” said All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb, who recently ended a long holdout by agreeing to a $136 million, four-year extension.
“But he’s leading us well,” Lamb said. “He knows we’re all supporting him — especially me. We need to get this sorted out quickly so we can focus on winning more games.”
Lamb’s support is shared by others in the Dallas locker room, who hear the ongoing criticism of Prescott. Despite a solid regular-season record of 73-41 and three straight playoff appearances, Prescott continues to face scrutiny.
“It’s crazy and unfair,” said Cooks, who is starting his second year with Prescott. “He performs every year, puts up impressive numbers, and leads his team. He can’t do everything alone.
“Even great quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Drew Brees, who won many games and Super Bowls, had plenty of support around them.”
McCarthy was hired in 2020 partly because of his success with Green Bay, where he led the team to a Super Bowl in the 2010 season. At 60 years old, he has made the playoffs 12 times in 16 full NFL seasons.
However, McCarthy also holds the record for being the only coach to lead a team to three straight 12-win seasons without reaching a conference championship game. He is in the final year of his five-year contract.
“I understand how contracts work, but I don’t want to talk about it,” McCarthy said. “There’s nothing to discuss because it doesn’t matter right now. What matters is today. We have responsibilities beyond just winning games, but winning is what truly matters.”
Prescott has achieved many victories, but fans will keep asking questions until he wins the games that count most.
“You’ve got to embrace it,” Prescott said. “It’s part of the challenge. As players and coaches, we don’t fully control our futures. For now, it’s about sticking together and understanding that this team will change after this season. That’s just how it is. It’s all about the present moment.”
The focus is on the quarterback, especially until his contract situation is resolved.
