Dak contract-cap experts?

[CWR]

He’s here until 2027 minimum.

If released

2026 - $137 million dead cap, $76 million post June
2027 - $60 million dead cap, $25 million post June
2028 - $35 million dead cap, $25 million post June

If you draft a back up this year and Dak get hurt and the back up takes over you can cut Dak and absorb it post June at 76 million?

One thing that helps is his void contracts are stretched out until 2031 or 32.

I'm not saying you aggressively look for his replacement but don't pass on qb talent.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I don't believe this is accurate. Because if he makes it to the 2027 league year and you cut him, his base salary becomes guaranteed and that's $45MM alone you have to account for.

Its accurate, but hes leaving out that a post june 1 cut in 2027 would also carry a $34M hit in 2028 in addition to the $25M in 2027.

 

[thunderpimp91]

If you draft a back up this year and Dak get hurt and the back up takes over you can cut Dak and absorb it post June at 76 million?

One thing that helps is his void contracts are stretched out until 2031 or 32.

I'm not saying you aggressively look for his replacement but don't pass on qb talent.

If you cut a player all those void years become irrelevant though. Its the downside of playing the restructure game pushing money into void years.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

We're so screwed.

 

[Coogiguy03]

The 2026 salary became guaranteed two days ago.

For the 45m base for 2027 to not guarantee, they have to cut him before the fifth day of the league year in 2026….about a year from now….all while the 40m for the upcoming 2026 season is already guaranteed.

That’s cash money paid weekly during the season, not just the cap hit. I can’t see the circumstance under which they just throw away 45m in guaranteed cash and cut him then, so he is here for three seasons at least.

That lightens up a bit at the end, so the likely earliest end of the Dak era is March 2028.

That's why they need to front load these contracts!!!!! That way you can justify hey we just signed this guy in the off season after having a great season this previous year to get this new deal. The expectation is that he'll keep on trending up, I wouldn't be as expectant of a player to continue to trend in year 4 of a deal like I would in year 1-2, so why back load the deal. By the time he's in the back of that deal he's supposed to make a CRAZY amount!!

 

[Coogiguy03]

If you cut a player all those void years become irrelevant though. Its the downside of playing the restructure game pushing money into void years.

front load everything!!

 

[shabazz]

He’s here until 2027 minimum.

If released

2026 - $137 million dead cap, $76 million post June
2027 - $60 million dead cap, $25 million post June
2028 - $35 million dead cap, $25 million post June

Well done......so we have to keep this cap-sucker for 3 more seasons to mitigate damages?

 

[shabazz]

front load everything!!

That's what she said....

 

[Loso86]

There's talk of drafting his backup ( maybe with a high pick ) and possible replacement this year. I wonder what happens if the backup is ready to compete ( push ) Dak for the starting job before the 2027 season. Am I reading OTC numbers right....2027, no guaranteed salary left, and we would save $10M pre-June 1 cut or trade? I know we just restructured but noticed according to OTC that added a cap increase of $9.1M to each of 4 years.

I guess the bottom line question is can we move on from Dak and his contract before the 2027 season and save $10M?

https://overthecap.com/player/dak-prescott/4848

I believe we can't get from under that deal until the 2026 season

 

[Coogiguy03]

That's what she said....

i'm just responding so I don't get fined!!! lol

 

[fivetwos]

That's why they need to front load these contracts!!!!! That way you can justify hey we just signed this guy in the off season after having a great season this previous year to get this new deal. The expectation is that he'll keep on trending up, I wouldn't be as expectant of a player to continue to trend in year 4 of a deal like I would in year 1-2, so why back load the deal. By the time he's in the back of that deal he's supposed to make a CRAZY amount!!

Good question.

First, they get schooled by France every time, and aren’t getting away with any structure shenanigans that favor the team.

Future value of money plays in, and well as when you’re the one with it in your hand at the moment.

My suspicion is that they use this structure as part of a give and take so they can pay less cash up front as a signing bonus and keep it to make money in other businesses. The money doesn’t transfer to the player immediately but it’s essentially guaranteed over time when it would make no sense cap-wise for the team to cut them earlier on.

Structures like this are probably why Jerry seems boastful over handing out what appears to be a record contract. It’s along the lines of ‘I kept an extra 30 million in my pocket for two extra years on the Prescott deal, and I’ll turn that into 100 million in another business.’

That’s great, but it doesn’t help your cap and someone who thinks that way shouldn’t be running football ops, but it’s his toy and the rest of us are stuck for now.

Of course that’s all speculation, but it’s quite plausible from a practical point of view. That’s exactly how billionaires think and also how they got there in the first place.

 

[DallasEast]

Unfortunately, Jerral sees Dak as the future of the Cowboys even though his best days are in the rear view mirror.

His self-perception highly likely started late September/early October 2016 and has never changed. The nearly immediate old-to-new franchise quarterback transition, along with two consecutive mega contract agreements, underscore how Jerry Jones has viewed Dak Prescott his entire career.

Why would his perception change now? Because other people do not agree with him? Jones is gonna be Jones no matter what.

 

[TwistedL0g1k]

This contract is the single biggest mistake Jerry has made since Jimmy Johnson.

Everyone was trying to figure out an escape before the ink was even dry!

 

[MoistMayonnaise]

His self-perception highly likely started late September/early October 2016 and has never changed. The nearly immediate old-to-new franchise quarterback transition, along with two consecutive mega contract agreements, underscore how Jerry Jones has viewed Dak Prescott his entire career.

Why would his perception change now? Because other people do not agree with him? Jones is gonna be Jones no matter what.

Agree.

No one tells me what to do, not even me!

~Jerral

 

[rambo2]

Talk is cheap. It's especially true in this case because there is no chance the Cowboys draft a QB with a high pick.

That's what I think. I think they take receiver in the 1st. A trade back would benefit them. 2nd and 3rd round are probably running back and dtackle. They need a corner as well.

 

[DallasEast]

This contract is the single biggest mistake Jerry has made since Jimmy Johnson.

Everyone was trying to figure out an escape before the ink was even dry!

Nope. Disagree. The next largest mistake Jerry Jones has made was never allowing a different managerial vision other than his own to oversee the team. Not one year, month, week, day or even a single hour.

 

[Spottswoode]

I’m no cap expert but out of curiosity. If Dallas were to get lucky and find their starter replacement on a rookie contract this year or next, would releasing him and taking the cap hit in ‘27 be more of a wash relative to the overall dollars spent on the position or would it still cripple the team.

 

[fivetwos]

This contract is the single biggest mistake Jerry has made since Jimmy Johnson.

Everyone was trying to figure out an escape before the ink was even dry!

Nah, a decade of Garrett was worse.

The mistake on the Prescott thing was not waiting until after this season, after already waiting too long. If you were going to make him the highest paid player ever, what’s the risk of taking him down to the end?

The market hasn’t been reset since, and he would have much less leverage after that nasty injury.

Were the Raiders going to give him 60m a year off that hammy situation, and was he ready to pack up and go?

Jerry could have bought himself some leverage but made the wrong call per usual.

What I find amusing about the “cut him now” crew is that contract is just now beginning.

 

[CWR]

If you cut a player all those void years become irrelevant though. Its the downside of playing the restructure game pushing money into void years.

Ah so he'd have to retire then? I remember Romos money staying on the books.

 

[Sydla]

I follow the question, but isn’t it basically moot since if he is not cut in March 2026 (2026 salary already guaranteed as we speak) the 45 million base for 2027 becomes guaranteed? Are they actually going to cut him before the season if that’s the case?

If for some reason the same duo that wouldn’t eat a lousy 5m on McCarthy decide to do that, then yes, I’d think they would have to account for that salary and it would change the cap hit.

People can hope all they like but it’s essentially structured so he is here for at least three years.

Moot or not the point was that no, the Cowboys do not save $10MM against the cap if they cut him before the 2027 league year. If he's on the roster in 2026, his dead money hit changes significantly.