Can the Dallas Cowboys resolve all the worries of their fans?
As the 2024 NFL season nears, the Dallas Cowboys are in a distinctive situation. On one side, they still hold the title of “America’s Team,” having enjoyed more regular season success than any other NFC team over the past three years. Their roster boasts All-Pro talents like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, who are all poised for high-value contracts. On the other hand, each season brings high expectations from team owner Jerry Jones, who demands a Super Bowl victory. Despite his considerable wealth, Jones’s financial resources are not infinite.
Managing to pay Prescott, Lamb, and Parsons their desired salaries while maintaining a competitive roster is an almost impossible challenge, but the Cowboys’ front office is determined to find a way, even if it seems magical.
“We’re trying to play Houdini in how to keep all these guys around Dak and retain the players we’ve been lucky enough to draft,” said Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones in a recent interview on the Scoop City podcast (h/t Dianna Russini and Larry Holder of The Athletic). While Lamb and Parsons were both highly regarded first-round picks, Prescott was a fourth-round pick in 2016 who got his chance to start due to an injury to Tony Romo. Since then, Prescott has amassed a 73-41 record as the Cowboys’ starter and finished second in MVP voting last season.
However, Prescott’s success has created its own set of challenges. He’s due $55 million in the final year of his contract and is likely to command an even larger deal in the future. While it’s justifiable for the Cowboys to invest heavily in him, doing so complicates the task of building a championship-caliber team around him.
“You know what happens when you have these high-priced quarterbacks,” Jones remarked. “At some point, it becomes a challenge to keep everyone.”
Can the Cowboys keep Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb AND Micah Parsons?
Despite the challenge, Stephen Jones is confident that the Cowboys can secure deals for Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons. He expressed optimism about getting these players signed, noting that Lamb and Prescott, along with Parsons, are deserving of contracts similar to top non-quarterbacks like Justin Jefferson of the Vikings. Jefferson recently signed a four-year, $140 million contract, becoming the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, surpassing Nick Bosa of the 49ers, who has a $34 million per year deal.
Comparing the performance of Lamb and Parsons to Jefferson and Bosa, the Cowboys’ pair make a strong case for similar contracts. Lamb has had 321 receptions for 4,210 yards and 27 touchdowns over three seasons, while Jefferson has had 304 receptions for 4,499 yards and 23 touchdowns. Parsons has accumulated 213 tackles, 40.5 sacks, and 51 tackles for loss, compared to Bosa’s 156 tackles, 44.5 sacks, and 56 tackles for loss.
The Vikings and 49ers were able to offer these deals partly because their starting quarterbacks are not commanding salaries upwards of $50 million per year, making it a bit easier for them. Nevertheless, Jones believes that securing these deals is feasible with some adjustments and time. The Cowboys have more flexibility than Harry Houdini did when he was underwater for 91 minutes, and Jones is confident they can keep the team intact.
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