The Dallas Cowboys got themselves into a pretty horrible situation regarding the contract of quarterback Dak Prescott that could result in him leaving the team following the 2024 season – and still counting against the team’s salary cap number for years to come. And it sounds like the Cowboys might be on the verge of making that same mistake with CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons.
As NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk points out, the Dallas Cowboys need to sign CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to contract extensions, but they have “shown no inclination to do anything other than delay, delay, and delay” which is exactly what they did with Dak Prescott that got them into this mess.
“That’s how they got into their current mess with Prescott. By not offering him a fair contract after his third season as a fourth-round, Day 1 starter, the Cowboys tabled the matter until after his four-year deal expired. Then, they used the franchise tag and didn’t sign him to a long-term deal before the mid-July deadline, delaying the issue again. When faced with the application of a second tag and no ability to punt for another year (for his third tag, he would have gotten a 44-percent raise over his second tag), the Cowboys panicked, giving Prescott a four-year, $160 million contract that guaranteed he’d get to the open market without an extension,” Florio wrote for Pro Football Talk.
“Now, they seem content to let him finish the contract and hit the market in 2025. Basically, he’ll be next year’s Kirk Cousins.”
Obviously, this is a pretty horrible situation, and it led to a lot of reactions on social media as a result.
The frustrating thing about the mess Dallas is in is that it was entirely predictable and that for years they have defended their inactivity in free agency as preparing for the future.
That future is here. Their preparation has yet to be shown. It is their mess and theirs alone. https://t.co/xVRRHtjjrE
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) April 10, 2024
Stephen Jones is a nepto baby and doesn't know how to do his job. https://t.co/AbRU5BtfJV
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(@Acelucky) April 10, 2024
Ppl finally seeing. Stop blaming the players for wanting to be compensated when the Cowboys could’ve locked them down for cheaper a year earlier https://t.co/bAbYuIhtwg
— 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 (@bcbright17) April 10, 2024
The one thing Florio got right. The Cowboys lack of urgency when getting deals done on young players that they develop and profess to want to take care of shows every year.
Sure they eventually get the deals done. But it might be time for Jerry and Stephen to get some young… https://t.co/VnOQ5kIEXx
— William Spencer III (@hype_phinest) April 10, 2024
the cowboys live to ruin my day… https://t.co/ez0h0PqHLw
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(@Thefullytruth93) April 10, 2024
They financially rewarded young players Zeke Elliott, Jaylon Smith and Michael Gallup with terrible contracts. That didn’t help either. https://t.co/oPP2LgfhBG
— Chris Sadeghi (@chrissadeghi) April 10, 2024
We’ll have to see what the Cowboys do in this situation.
