“Lot of pressure” – Cowboys facing huge Dak Prescott decision, NFL insider claims

Dak Prescott is no stranger to feeling the pressure as he's the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. The pressure is now on the franchise when it comes to Prescott's contract. He was given a four-year, $160 million contract extension back in 2021 but there's a major cap number that's coming in 2024.

NFL insider Mike Florio addressed Prescott's contract during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas and why they need to get it under control:

“The way it’s set up on the back end, there’s a lot of pressure on the Cowboys to get it done. He’s going to have all the leverage when that when next year rolls around. That’s why there’s some urgency to get it done this year.

“Once you get through 2023, he’s in a position where he can just say, ‘I’ll play my last year out and then there’s nothing you can do to force me to stay. You’ve got no leverage, no tool under the CBA to keep him from going to the market and letting the market determine his value.”

This offseason, the Dallas Cowboys restructured Dak Prescott's contract, converting $29 million of salary into a signing bonus, which lessens his cap hit significantly. The cap hit this upcoming season for Prescott is $26.8 million, the sixth-highest amongst quarterbacks.

Dak Prescott at the 12th Annual NFL Honors

Next season, Dak Prescott is set to make $29 million in salary, carrying a cap hit of $59.5 million. It would be the second-highest in the NFL in 2024, trailing the $63.977 million cap hit the Cleveland Browns will have for Deshaun Watson.

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Will Dak Prescott be the franchise QB for the Cowboys beyond 2024?

While there have been rumors of the Cowboys trading Dak Prescott, it seems he won't be going anywhere in the future. Stephen Jones, executive vice president of the Cowboys, spoke on the quarterback's future with the team back in February.

“Dak is going to be our guy for, hopefully the next 10 years. You say that’s a long time because he’s already played seven. But I think Dak will play that long because he takes care of himself, and he’s driven to be great. We fully expect him to be here for 10 years.”

The 2022 season saw a drop in passing yards and touchdowns with more interceptions. Dak Prescott threw for 2,860 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He tied for the most interceptions thrown last season. Cowboys fans will see if he can have a bounce-back season in 2023.