Cowboys ‘Stuck’ on QB Dak Prescott After 2 Major Mistakes originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Dallas Cowboys are among the wealthiest and highest-valued franchises in all of sports, but money problems can hamper even an owner as rich and powerful as Jerry Jones.
His team’s current issues aren’t about liquidity or valuation, but rather about salary cap concerns and timing — specifically involving quarterback Dak Prescott, the highest-paid player in NFL history based on annual average salary.
Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk examined the Cowboys’ QB situation as they head into the first season of Prescott’s $240 million extension, which won’t end until he is 35 years old.
“[Prescott is] probably not on the hot seat, because his $60 million per year contract would wreak havoc on the salary cap if the Cowboys were to cut or trade him (yes, he has a no-trade clause, but he can waive it) in 2026,” Florio wrote on Saturday, July 5. “The complication for the Cowboys is that his $45 million salary for 2027 becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2026 league year. They’re basically stuck — all because they waited too long to give him his second contract, and then waited too long to give him his third contract.”
Florio and other analysts have been critical of the Cowboys’ timing on rich deals, including their current negotiations with superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons, a former first-round pick (No. 12 overall in 2021), is entering the fifth-year club option on his original $17 million rookie contract, which pays him $24 million in 2025.
Spotrac projects Parsons’ market value at $145 million over a new four-year deal ($36.3 million annually), though ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes Parsons will ultimately reset the market at the position whenever he signs an extension. That would place the outside linebacker’s pay above the $40 million per year mark that Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is already earning.
Parsons’ price point is only likely to increase if Dallas waits until next summer to get the deal done based on two factors: The expected yearly bump in the NFL salary cap and the possibility of other top edge rushers around the league signing deals that push the top salaries even higher.
Related: Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Top ‘X-Factor’ In NFC East Race
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.