On the floor, CeeDee Lamb’s four-year, $136 million contract extension looks as if an enormous win for the Dallas Cowboys.
However after the preliminary fist-pumping and celebratory high-fives, one would possibly notice the Cowboys aren’t out of the woods simply but as a result of quarterback Dak Prescott will command a good bigger contract extension than Lamb’s if re-signed, which in flip, would possibly additional complicate hammering out a long-term deal for star edge-rusher Micah Parsons subsequent season as properly.
Spotrac values Prescott’s market worth round $55.1M per season, which is what his 2024 cap hit is, however some in league circles imagine he could possibly be the NFL’s first $60M-per-year participant.
Dallas is aware of the longer Prescott goes unsigned, the extra he’s going to price in the long term, which is why the crew is reportedly attempting to get his deal carried out earlier than the beginning of the common season based on ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“They’re going to attempt to get Prescott carried out earlier than Week 1 and double down on each these guys and spend a ton of cash,” Fowler stated, through SB Nation. “It’s nonetheless unclear whether or not they can pull this off. Prescott…he’s properly conscious of how properly he can do in free company if he had been to let this journey out, play properly once more, put up an enormous QBR after which be there in March for $60M a yr.”
The Cowboys have a little bit over $30M in cap house in 2025 and almost $147M in 2026 as soon as Lamb’s new cash hits the books. There are methods Dallas can signal each Prescott and Parsons subsequent offseason, but it surely includes getting inventive.
For instance, restructuring sort out Terrence Steele’s deal subsequent yr opens up $9M, slicing security Donovan Wilsons post-June 1 creates $7M in cap house, and increasing Parsons himself frees up round $16M. Nevertheless, the true conundrum occurs in 2026.
Parsons’ market worth is estimated at round $30.6M per yr, and if Prescott indicators for $60M per yr (he additionally counts for $40.13M in opposition to the cap in 2025 if he leaves Dallas), the Cowboys have to determine a solution to justify committing almost $124M, or roughly 68% of their cap house to only three gamers.
It may be carried out, however then critical questions get raised in regards to the high quality of the crew the Cowboys can construct across the trio.
