The Dallas Cowboys are soon to be resuming their practice for the 2024 season. However, before that they are finding a middle ground between the two current lingering problems—Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb’s contract. As the debate was about who will be prioritized by the franchise, the latest update reveals the importance of the wide receiver over the quarterback.

In the July 22 episode of First Things First, Nick Wright, Greg Jennings, and Kevin Wildes discussed who will be the Cowboys’ priority between the two players – Prescott and Lamb. Wright expressed that typically teams focus on securing their quarterback, but the Cowboys might be taking a different approach. He said, “NFL history tells us only one of those contracts ever doesn’t get done and that’s the wide receivers. There’s no nobody, nobody lets a quarterback hit free agency and nobody trades a guy like Micah Parsons coming off his rookie deal but a lot of star receivers coming off their rookie deal, wanting to get paid.”

According to the analyst, with Lamb, Prescott, and Parsons – all needing new deals – the franchise appears to prioritize Lamb, possibly reflecting doubts about Prescott’s ability to lead the team to a Super Bowl. Historically, NFL teams ensure their quarterbacks and pass rushers stay with them, while wide receivers are often traded for financial reasons. However, in this case, Wright suggested that Lamb will not face the same fate as Tyreek Hill, who was traded by the Chiefs when he “wanted to be paid more than what receiver Davante Adams was getting with the Las Vegas Raiders” that time.

Hence, it’s almost reportedly confirmed that America’s team will be paying Lamb over Prescott this time, eventually letting him leave. But we should also not forget that there will be some “unavoidable repercussions” if Prescott leaves.

What will happen if Dak Prescott exits Dallas?

The Cowboys seem to be in a tricky spot with Dak Prescott. They haven’t really talked about a new deal for him during the offseason, which is unusual since their front office often waits until the last minute to negotiate. Prescott, who’s in the final year of his contract, might just play out the season without an extension. If that happens, he’ll likely leave Dallas in 2025, and the Cowboys won’t be able to trade or tag him, only getting a small compensatory pick in return. The bigger issue for the Cowboys is what happens if Prescott leaves.

Finding and developing a new quarterback is tough and often takes years. As per the reports stated by Cowboys Wire, the 2025 draft class isn’t strong for top quarterbacks, meaning Dallas might need to struggle for a while to find a new franchise player. This is especially frustrating because the NFC is open and the Cowboys are in a good position now. If they let Prescott go, they risk wasting this opportunity and potentially facing a long rebuilding period. Re-signing him, even at a high price, is seen as crucial to keep the team competitive and not squander their chance to win in the current NFC landscape.

So, all in all, it’s true that if Prescott leaves, the team will face issues in the future. Now it remains to be seen what will happen next with Jerry Jones’ franchise.