The Dallas Cowboys appear to be playing on borrowed time. Many of the coaches and players are playing on one-year contracts, so the team could be planning major changes after the 2024 season.
Head coach Mike McCarthy recently signed a new agent in hopes of working out some type of contract extension with owner Jerry Jones and the Cowboys. If not, another team will likely sign him after this season, and a new agent could help facilitate a better deal. McCarthy and most of his staff are working on one-year deals, and if he signs with a new team in 2025, he will likely take a lot of his staff with him.
“We want Dak Prescott, that's all,” Jones told reporters at the team's pre-draft press conference. It's one thing to say it, it's another thing to act on it. Prescott is up for a contract extension, but Jones has been quiet about it for months.
He said instead, “I'd like to see more leaves fall.” This analogy doesn't hold much weight if your star quarterback isn't feeling confident regarding a new contract even though he leads the NFL with his 36 touchdown passes.
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Further complicating matters, the Cowboys appear to be planning to move on from Trey Lance. Sources told ESPN's Todd Archer that the team declined to pick up Lance's fifth-year option.
The rejection of his fifth-year option is not entirely surprising since it cost the Cowboys $22.4 million and was fully guaranteed. If Jones' comments about Prescott staying are true, that $22.4 million would work better as part of a new deal for the current franchise quarterback.
The problem is that “coaches speak”, or in this case “owners speak”, is no longer enough. Jones can't keep giving him a one-year deal and expect teams to want him to play at full strength if he plays knowing his expiration date is up. The same goes for extensions Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who are understandably missing.
Both are at the top of their games and are an integral part of the Cowboys remaining playoff contenders year after year. Losing either or both will severely damage the team's current offensive power. So Jones needs to figure out a way to extend both to show he's not taking his star for granted.
Jones' playing a “wait and see” game will only further damage the team, and his bizarre decision not to pursue better players in free agency also added to the confusion. The team had some clear cap issues to address, but still has plenty of inexpensive veterans who would serve as viable starters.
The good news is that the problems in the running back room are finally resolved, as Ezekiel Elliott reunites with the Cowboys on a one-year deal. Elliott should revitalize a room that previously contained underperforming products such as Rico Doodle, Deuce Vaughn, and Royce Freeman.
Jones also said the team is “all in” for 2024, but the results of his free-agent move are less than all-in. Take the Rams, for example. They made big trades to ensure they were a contender, including trading cornerback Jalen Ramsey and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
They won a Super Bowl in 2021 after trading all of their first-round picks over the years. The 2024 NFL Draft was the first time since 2016 that a team had a first-round pick. Going after playmakers is how teams go all out, and the Rams were a perfect example of that.
Jones should have treated the 2024 Cowboys the same way. The team should have been more aggressive during free agency if that meant trading away picks for an elusive chance to win a Super Bowl under Prescott.
The Cowboys added more protection in the 2024 NFL Draft after using their first-round pick to select Oklahoma tackle Tyler Guyton. Guyton is clearly unproven and not good enough to replace the two Pro Bowlers the team lost in center Tyler Biadasz and left tackle Tyron Smith. It was a step in the right direction, but it wasn't enough.
Declining Lance's fifth-year option wasn't a terrible decision by any means, but it shows that Jones is playing dangerously with the team. There may still be a chance to keep Prescott, but will the other players and coaches be happy with how the owners treated their hard work without proper compensation? If Jones doesn't make a big move soon, the 2025 season could be a rebuilding year.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom, finding common ground and finding connections.
