NFL insider confirms what we already knew about Cowboys' Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys are currently working to sign CeeDee Lamb to an extension. Mike McCarthy didn't seem overly concerned on Tuesday when he discussed Lamb's absence from mandatory minicamp. No Lamb means more snaps for other receivers, but it goes without saying that the Cowboys would be better off if Lamb was practicing.

Another reason for Dallas to get a move on with Lamb's deal is Dak Prescott, who is also entering a contract year in 2024. The Cowboys squandered an opportunity to extend Prescott for roughly $10 million less (if not more) than his likely $60 million per year price tag.

Following another playoff letdown, the national media has speculated all offseason whether Jerry Jones would move on from Prescott in 2025. It's a fair question given Dak's lofty price and that it took two offseasons for the two sides to reach an agreement in the previous round of negotiations.

As it turns out, though, not even Jones is crazy enough to send the Cowboys spiraling back into quarterback purgatory. Appearing on NFL Live, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler confirmed the inevitable regarding Prescott's future.

Cowboys Rumors: Dallas is 'all-in' on extending Dak Prescott

"They are all-in on re-signing Dak Prescott, eventually," Fowler reported. "They just haven't shown it yet. I'm told behind the scenes they've made it clear they don't want him to hit free agency in 2025. They want him to be the quarterback of the future. But they're negotiation so far has been described to me as passive. Sometime this summer, they're going to have to ramp up the heat a little bit."

That settles that. As they always do, the Cowboys are likely letting the quarterback market settle before ramping up negotiations.

Jared Goff already signed for $53 million per year and the market could rise again given that Trevor Lawrence, Tua Tagovailoa and Jordan Love are all entrenched in their own contract standoffs. Given Dallas' history, it wouldn't be a surprise if all three gunslingers signed before Prescott.

The big takeaway is the team's commitment to Prescott, which was brought into question after the 2023 season. Playoff loss notwithstanding, Prescott finished second in MVP voting. He was surgical and borderline dominant despite zero threat of a running game. And to set the matter straight on the wild card meltdown, Dan Quinn's defense didn't give Prescott and the offense a chance to overcome a slow start.

Pulling the plug on Prescott is easier said than done. The Cowboys don't have a readymade successor in place (no, Trey Lance is not the answer). More importantly, Prescott, even on an average day, is a top-10 quarterback. At his best, which he often is, he's firmly in the top 4-7 discussion.

Extending Prescott was always the answer. We'll see how long negotiations drag out, but barring an unexpected twist Dak Prescott will be the Cowboys' quarterback for the foreseeable future.

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