Dak Prescott is about to cash in! The NFL’s hottest commodity, his name’s being tossed in trade rumors and contract speculation like a football at the Pro Bowl. And for good reason. The man can play. 

Get Up ESPN shared a post on Twitter wherein analyst Marcus Spears revealed Prescott’s market value. He put it bluntly: “We never have a conversation about Dak being a good QB; it’s always about the playoffs. Every team that’s quarterback hungry knows they’ve got a guy who can play at a very high level—and don’t you ever get this twisted—Dak Prescott will be the shining star of free agency for a number of teams.”

Can’t deny it; the teams in the league are chomping for a shot at the three-time Pro Bowl star hitting free agency. The QB lit up the 2023 season with 36 TDs in 17 games, finishing second in MVP voting. But Big D ain’t budging. 

Sports writer Brandon Lorre dropped a tweet from the Rich Eisen Show, where NFL Insider Ian Rapoport and Eisen dish on whether Cowboys’ Prescott might hit free agency. Rapoport highlighted, “If he’d be a free agent next year, he’d be the biggest free agent we’d ever seen.” With the QB market going through the roof, a deal north of $60M per year’s totally on the table. The sports commentator doubled down: “$60M is less. Prescott in free agency next year? It’ll be higher. More. Always over. Over, over, over.”

The Cowboys are in a tight spot. With big-money players like CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons to consider, keeping everyone happy will be a helluva task. But letting Prescott walk? That’ll be a shooting themselves in the foot. 

Also, let’s not forget about their backup plan, or lack thereof. Trey Lance, acquired from the 49ers, is a wild card. Can he step in and fill Prescott’s shoes if needed? It looks like a risky gamble. The cap hit for losing the 31-year-old in 2025 is $40.13M. ESPN analyst and former safety Louis Riddick argued that Dallas should pay Prescott a deal worth $65M per year. 

The clock’s ticking. Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ front office must make a crucial decision. Will they go ‘all in’ to keep their franchise QB or gamble without him? The stakes are high, but Dak Prescott’s confident.

Prescott stays confident amid contract uncertainty 

Dak Prescott’s entering August without a new deal, but he’s keeping his cool. The seasoned QB’s said in the past that his focus is (and shall always be) on the game and not money. The State Bulldogs’ champ said he’s under contract in 2024 and that’s all that matters to him. 

“I’ve got a ton of confidence, but honestly, it’s not something I think about,” Prescott said via Jeff Kolb of FOX 4. “I’m here in training camp and focused on this year. I’m on a contract for this year and that’s all I really care about.” Guess the star QB’s clearly focused on football, leaving the contract negotiations to his agents!

While Prescott’s confident a deal will get done, Big D is in a bit of a pickle. With a no-tag, no-trade clause in his contract, they’ve got little leverage. Owner Jones and EVP Stephen Jones know they need to lock up their franchise QB, but the price tag’s going to be hefty.

This contract story is far from over, but for now, all eyes are on Prescott’s performance on-field.