All signs point to the Dallas Cowboys signing Dak Prescott to a contract extension this offseason. Prescott has considerable leverage over the organization thanks to his no-trade and no-tag clauses, as well as his league-high $59 million cap hit.
The idea that the Cowboys can't or won't trade Prescott is misguided, however. Prescott would have to lift the no-trade clause for a trade to materialize, but Dallas backed itself into this corner by delaying Prescott's initial extension.
We endorse extending Prescott, but we understand trepidation fans might have in giving him over $50 million per year after another playoff letdown. Would it behoove the Cowboys to simply hit the rest button?
There's also the fact that Micah Parsons' brother and CeeDee Lamb's mom have taken personal shots at Prescott on social media. Might Dak submit a trade request to free himself of the constant ridicule from fans, the media and now family members of teammates?
Who knows, but there are realistic trade partners out there for the Cowboys.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are a tricky one. Despite getting lackluster quarterback play from Kenny Pickett, Mitchell Trubisky and Mason Rudolph over the last two years, they continue to qualify for the playoffs and finish .500 or better.
That's a testament to Mike Tomlin's coaching and Tomlin annoucned he'll be back for an 18th season after speculation that he'd take a year off.
The Steelers roster is begging to be taken over by a competent QB and Prescott will likely finish second in MVP voting this season. The kicker is that Pittsburgh is projected to be $15.6 million over the cap once the new league year starts.
That could change quickly, though, assuming they restructure some contracts and make some post-June 1 cuts. For example, cutting Allen Robinson would free up $10 million. Long story short, they can afford to give Prescott a new deal.
Playing in the AFC North would represent a stiff challenge for Prescott, but between Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Najee Harris, Jaylen Warren and Pat Freiermuth, Dak would have no shortage of weapons and the defense plays at a high level whenever T.J. Watt is healthy.
It'd be weird seeing Prescott in black and gold, but it's hard to deny that the Steelers are a realistic landing spot for the QB if it comes to that.
2. Las Vegas Raiders
Antonio Pierce made the Raiders fun (and respectable) again after he took over as interim head coach after they fired Josh McDaniels. It didn't take long for Pierce, who's since officially been hired as the head coach, to win over the locker room.
Superstar receiver Davante Adams was seemingly on the verge of requesting a trade as he saw minimal targets in McDaniels' offense. Now, Adams appears fully committed to Pierce and the Raiders, so Prescott would have a bonafide No. 1 receiver.
Las Vegas has a hole to fill at running back now that Josh Jacobs is a free agent, but Jakobi Meyers, who caught 71 passes for 807 yards and eight touchdowns this season, is a solid No. 2 option and Michael Mayer is an ascending young tight end.
Prescott would have to play Patrick Mahomes twice a year and the Chargers could finally make noise now that they've hired Jim Harbaugh to replace Brandon Staley.
However, the Raiders were right there competing for a wild card spot this year despite the fact McDaniels torched the first half of their season and they rotated at quarterback between Jimmy Garoppolo and rookie Aidan O'Connell.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have been deemed an ideal trade destination for Justin Fields, but Prescott would represent a significant upgrade to the Bears quarterback.
Fans in Atlanta have been waiting for the team to maximize its young offensive talent. With head coach Arthur Smith finally out the door, there's reason to believe the careers of Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts -- each of whom were taken in the top 10 in the draft the last three years -- will finally take off.
With $25 million in cap space, the Falcons have the financial means to pay Prescott. They won seven games this season with bottom-tier QB play from Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. It stands to reason Prescott is worth at least three or four more wins, if not more.
The Falcons are a perfect landing spot for Prescott. He's beaten up on lesser competition throughout his career and would have the luxury of playing the two-win Panthers, soon-to-be-rebuilding Saints and nine-win Bucs twice a year.
Not to mention, Atlanta boasts a prolific rushing attack and the team is linked with a plethora of intriguing head coaches, including Bill Belichick, former Titans boss Mike Vrabel, Texans OC Bob Slowik and Rams DC Raheem Morris.
Make no bones about it: Prescott would flourish on the Falcons.