Dak Prescott has been around long enough to know the NFL is unpredictable – one minute, you’re the face of the franchise; the next, all people can talk about is your salary. As the Dallas Cowboys cleared up their cap space by a whopping $56.6 million, Prescott had some wisdom to share – especially to WR CeeDee Lamb and the rest of the squad.

The QB’s words weren’t just a pep talk for CeeDee but a reality check for the entire roster. The cap relief means big moves are coming – some sweet, some full of spice – well, what else can we expect from the famous Jerry Jones? 

Well, in full classic Prescott style, he said, “control what you can control.” This comes as the Cowboys have restructured his deal to a $47.7 million base salary. Not just him, they also did the same for CeeDee by dropping his cap numbers to $14.8 million by converting his base salary ($25.68 million) to a signing bonus. These moves free up approximately $56.6million for the Cowboys for the 2025 season – because who doesn’t love some extra breathing room? Now, this gives them the flexibility to sign other players to fill the void in their roster. They need to fill their other positions of need – a running back, a wideout behind Lamb, a defensive tackle, and a cornerback depth. But looks like they are already in action, as they locked up the Defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa for four years at $80 million. A big move, indeed. 

But as everyone is focusing on that, Dak wants them – well, at least his team – to focus on what actually matters, the game, and not the bank statements. Duh! Ask those who ain’t getting paid that much, Dak. To support his ‘words of wisdom’, he took it further by sharing the Cowboys’ post about the legendary Zack Martin’s retirement on his Instagram story. The post was flooded with love, respect, and praise from players and teams alike. And Dak? He kept it short and sweet with, “What it’s about.” Translation: It’s about the legacy, not just the paycheck.

The team signed both, Dak and CeeDee, for the 2025 season. The QB at $240 million and the WR at $136 million. Making the WR one of the highest-paid WRs in the NFL. What we can call it – is a Justin Jefferson deal. But Dak means to say, focus on the grind, my boy! Not the money. With huge paychecks coming their way, zen-mode certainly gets turned on. But the franchise QB wants to remind his team to play first and negotiate later. 

Jones’ money moves and added pressure for the Cowboys 

Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, can be said to be the team’s financial wizard – making magic happen with money. But, let’s be practical, with great power comes great responsibility. As the Cowboys cleared up $56.6 million in cap space – thanks to the wizard himself – this move provides the team with the ability to fill up their holes in the roster. The much-needed flexibility to make moves to take the Lombardi home after 1995.

The pressure cooker is ready to blow off some heat. Because the Cowboys – well, Jones – don’t have a history of extending their players or restructuring deals. So, they are taking a different route this year. Giving their players another chance to live up to serious expectations. CeeDee was asked on X, why he would agree to such a dumb move – to which he replied, “I want to win. It’s gonna take more than just myself.” That’s true! But even after such flexibility to make the moves, if the Cowboys don’t navigate this delicately and don’t perform well this season. Well, then officially they are cooked.

With a massive financial move and Dak’s mantra in the air, the Cowboys are in a high-stakes game. Because money alone doesn’t win championships – performance does. Now, it’s up to Dak, CeeDee, and the rest of the crew to turn those paychecks into plays and bring Dallas back to Super Bowl glory. Otherwise, all that cap manoeuvring will be for nothing.