Is Dak Prescott's contract actually that bad

[kskboys]

What you can evaluate is the value between the two and whether Dak provides better value when his Cap hits are higher than Bakers to the tune of:
$38m in 2024
$54m in 2025

Spottrak has his cap hit for 2025 as $89 mil.

 

[PAPPYDOG]

Spottrak has his cap hit for 2025 as $89 mil.

89 million for gimpy inaccuarte stupid panic riddled Dak..............
How this team still has fans is a miracle.
I guess its mostly folks over 45-50 years old who fell in love with a Cowboy teams that has long since passed away.

 

[FanofJerry]

What you can evaluate is the value between the two and whether Dak provides better value when his Cap hits are higher than Bakers to the tune of:
$38m in 2024
$54m in 2025

Baker is in a weird spot for me on this subject...as I remember the years between Aikman and Romo.

Im not saying Baker is as bad as those QB's...its the INT's.

Baker might be playing well last half of last year and this year...but he is still a potentially 3 INT a game QB to me. He is just one of those guys that can look good and then throw some bone-headed balls.

I think it would where thin on our fanbase and any fanbase.

I get the argument of "Dak aint takin' us to the Promise Land, might as well save money"...but I think the fans would not like the outcome going with a gunslinging, turnover waiting to happen type QB.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Spottrak has his cap hit for 2025 as $89

I'm pointing out the differential between the two.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Baker is in a weird spot for me on this subject...as I remember the years between Aikman and Romo.

Im not saying Baker is as bad as those QB's...its the INT's.

Baker might be playing well last half of last year and this year...but he is still a potentially 3 INT a game QB to me. He is just one of those guys that can look good and then throw some bone-headed balls.

I think it would where thin on our fanbase and any fanbase.

I get the argument of "Dak aint takin' us to the Promise Land, might as well save money"...but I think the fans would not like the outcome going with a gunslinging, turnover waiting to happen type QB.

I'm not saying Mayfield's the answer. I'd argue if you don't have a difference maker that can carry the team, build the team that can overcome the QB's weaknesses.
Dak, just needs too much help.

 

[FanofJerry]

I'm not saying Mayfield's the answer. I'd argue if you don't have a difference maker that can carry the team, build the team that can overcome the QB's weaknesses.
Dak, just needs too much help.

I get it. Everyone wants a deep team with a rookie contract QB if you dont have a Mahomes.

Dak puts up yards, doenst turn the ball over, in MVP races...and this board dont like him. If Baker would mysteriously satisfy the critics of Dak...something is not making sense.

This is a touchy subject, but I think you keep a good bus driver when you have one...for the fans and it helps moneywise for the business side of things. But...you keep drafting a guy here and there in hopes of landing someone better than Dak...even if you have to bench Dak for the better guy in the middle of Dak's contract.

I briefly did research last year on this and made a post...but there were not many mid-range paid QB's with good experience to choose from...it was Minschew, Bridgewaters, Jameis Winstons, Mayfield, etc.. I forgot if Darnold or Goff were paid good or not when I looked up the list of QB's that were paid in the middle.

Basically there was no one that had experience that you could really trust that wasnt a rookie contract or 40M+.

Im not opposed to trying what this board is pushing for...I just think its going to be a noticeable difference in turnovers going with one of these journeymen guys.

 

[Walker]

Horrible yes. We are basically wanting to pay him like Mahomes but without the skill or availability of him.

 

[Mr_437]

Spottrak has his cap hit for 2025 as $89 mil.

Damn

 

[FanofJerry]

Horrible yes. We are basically wanting to pay him like Mahomes but without the skill or availability of him.

Im not trying to be a prick...but the QB market convo is played out around here...its up to the owners to find a solution to the problem they created...and I dont think they see it in the same light as this board does. I think the owners and agents are in agreement with the QB market...give most of your money to the most important player and figure things out around that. You may not like it...but riding with crap after crap QB is a bad product for all of NFL....its a crap shoot that pro-rookie contract posters prefer to avoid talking about at all costs.

The over-riding opinion to combat the QB market is for teams to roll with rookie contract QB's...which isnt fair to good QB's, fair to fans or fair to the business side of owning a football team. Most QB's, especially rookies, are terrible and make people turn the channel.

The owners want serviceable QB's and will pay for them...which leads to sub-Mahomes QB's getting near Mahomes money.

Watering down the most important position in football over trivial cap restraints is bad for the game. I agree with others that suggest the teams have accounting tools to create windows to win and make the QB cap argument not as big a deal as fan boards make it seem.

 

[Jfconrow]

Why not?

Rush probably plays better than Dak for the rest of the regular season. If he does his price will go up to 100M-150M. You can’t have him and Dak, some other team will get him. If he sucks for the next 5 weeks do you really want to resign him?

 

[Jfconrow]

That Dak contract screwed the Cowboys, the only way out is to draft a QB to start. Even then it’s insulting if the rookie starts for peanuts and Dak is making $40

 

[zeke21]

I get it. Everyone wants a deep team with a rookie contract QB if you dont have a Mahomes.

Dak puts up yards, doenst turn the ball over, in MVP races...and this board dont like him. If Baker would mysteriously satisfy the critics of Dak...something is not making sense.

This is a touchy subject, but I think you keep a good bus driver when you have one...for the fans and it helps moneywise for the business side of things. But...you keep drafting a guy here and there in hopes of landing someone better than Dak...even if you have to bench Dak for the better guy in the middle of Dak's contract.

I briefly did research last year on this and made a post...but there were not many mid-range paid QB's with good experience to choose from...it was Minschew, Bridgewaters, Jameis Winstons, Mayfield, etc.. I forgot if Darnold or Goff were paid good or not when I looked up the list of QB's that were paid in the middle.

Basically there was no one that had experience that you could really trust that wasnt a rookie contract or 40M+.

Im not opposed to trying what this board is pushing for...I just think its going to be a noticeable difference in turnovers going with one of these journeymen guys.

I see the point about keeping a good bus driver.. but you simply can't afford to pay overs for that bus driver. If you want a good bus driver then you go and get a mid range priced one on the FA market and build around him. The key point being that you also need to recruit heavily and use that mid range bus driver as a transition to (hopefully) your next franchise QB.

So let us be very clear... Jerry and Co saw Dak as a franchise QB.. not a bus driver, not a transition.. they literally think he is in the same band as Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Watson etc.. and they have paid him the highest contract in NFL history because of that belief.

Dak is the same guy he has always been.. a 4th round overachiever (yes even though he sucks.. he is overachieving his draft position) who has severe limitations and has consistently shown he has not got the skills nor the mentality to win when it matters. And our FO thought.. let's double down (quite literally) and make sure that it is Dak or bust. And bust it will be.

 

[buybuydandavis]

X gadzillions.

Anyone who thinks this isn't a huge negative effect on the salary cap/team just does not want to see it.

I'm sure Jerry doesn't want to see it, but he likely does.

His personal end is coming, and the next few years are looking like having a mediocre QB locked in with a huge salary. Getting a quality coach to come in will be tough, and building a quality roster tougher.

He will leave the Cowboys much as he found it - a mediocre time of aging and declining players cashing checks, without even *playing* in an NFC Championship game with a team the Jimmy didn't build, and no Boy Genius Coach to leave any legacy for the future.

On the bright side, he's done great for his family, leaving them the top sports entertainment franchise in the world. But it's obvious he has always hoped to add some kind of legacy of success in the game itself, and that ain't happening.

On the bright side for Stephen, he has a chance to look good when he takes over simply from the boost we'll get from eventually getting out from under Dak's contract.

 

[JonesBoys]

In terms of overall QB play this season the top 15 list would arguably look something along the lines of:

Lamar Jackson
Josh Allen
Jared Goff
Jayden Daniels
Joe Burrow
Jalen Hurts
Patrick Mahomes
Justin Herbert
C J Stroud
Kyler Murray
Sam Darnold
Baker Mayfield
Kirk Cousins
Jordan Love
Matthew Stafford

A few quarterbacks can be moved around here and there plus there's a case for the likes of Purdy and Williams to be in the top 15 but in general, it's not an outlandish list.

The point being Dak Prescott is no where to be seen within the top 15 quarterbacks in the league this season and for good reason.

Realistically going forwards with the likes of Caleb Williams and Bo Nix likely to improve a whole lot more and even accounting for say Darnold, Mayfield and Cousins struggling to back up their form into next season and the potential of Stafford and/or Rodgers retiring, do people really see Prescott getting himself into the top 10 ranked quarterbacks next season?

In terms of big name quarterback contracts on the horizon how many are there? Purdy at the end of this season, C J Stroud likely in 2026 and perhaps Josh Allen at some point during that period to restructure his contract given he's only in the low 40s at this time and to spread the cap hit of his next contract with the Bills.

Other than that there are not too many more before Prescott's contract will be up for renewal again - perhaps his will be a year after a bunch of the top 10 guys. The point being that when we look back at the highest earning quarterbacks over the 9 years prior to Prescott's current contract expiring, he will have likely been either the highest earner or at least a top 3 earning QB over those 9 years! Astounding really given the horrific ROI in terms of relevant performance to the team winning important games against good teams. It also completely blows out the water the ridiculous notion/assertion that, "his contract will be around the 15th highest paid quarterback in a year or two" - no it will not!

I am very interested to find out how much Purdy is offered by the 49ers. I do not think it will be $60+ million a year. I think he will take a commercial view and be pleased to take a bit less to stay and play for a good team rather than earning more on a bad team. In those circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if he accepted around $50 million a year. But who knows, the 49ers might be the next team to massively overpay for a solid NFL starting quarterback. Again, it is noticeable that his overall use and performance is increased when he scrambles and moves to acquire first downs or extend plays which leads me to my next point...

My final observation is that of the above top 10 ranked NFL quarterbacks in the league this season, only Goff lacks mobility. The other 9 can all move at will to extend plays and rush for a much needed first down. Same rules apply to the young quarterbacks coming through like Love, Nix and Williams. If you are planning to pay top dollar to a quarterback then surely they require some mobility in the modern NFL? If not then pay them around the $45-$50 million range to compensate for that to facilitate the payment of two stud running backs like Montgomery and Gibbs or draft a stud RB in the first round like Robinson...

Whichever way people try to dress it up, the latest Dak Prescott contract looks to have been an awful progress stopping decision and one that will kneecap the team for several years to come.

Fair play to him though as he will have brought in $400+ million over 9 years - Jerry must be in a whole world of pain right now!

Wait, the Jones boys screwed up again? No way! There decades and no end in sight. Thank you Jones family.

 

[TheSport78]

That $89 million cap hit will be restructured next year, which will only create more problems down the road. If it were me, I'd ride out the $89 mil next year then cut him after the 2025 season post-June.

 

[kskboys]

Baker is in a weird spot for me on this subject...as I remember the years between Aikman and Romo.

Im not saying Baker is as bad as those QB's...its the INT's.

Baker might be playing well last half of last year and this year...but he is still a potentially 3 INT a game QB to me. He is just one of those guys that can look good and then throw some bone-headed balls.

I think it would where thin on our fanbase and any fanbase.

I get the argument of "Dak aint takin' us to the Promise Land, might as well save money"...but I think the fans would not like the outcome going with a gunslinging, turnover waiting to happen type QB.

Baker = Rex Grossman

 

[FanofJerry]

I see the point about keeping a good bus driver.. but you simply can't afford to pay overs for that bus driver. If you want a good bus driver then you go and get a mid range priced one on the FA market and build around him. The key point being that you also need to recruit heavily and use that mid range bus driver as a transition to (hopefully) your next franchise QB.

So let us be very clear... Jerry and Co saw Dak as a franchise QB.. not a bus driver, not a transition.. they literally think he is in the same band as Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Watson etc.. and they have paid him the highest contract in NFL history because of that belief.

Dak is the same guy he has always been.. a 4th round overachiever (yes even though he sucks.. he is overachieving his draft position) who has severe limitations and has consistently shown he has not got the skills nor the mentality to win when it matters. And our FO thought.. let's double down (quite literally) and make sure that it is Dak or bust. And bust it will be.

Dak is a franchise QB. And the QB market keeps resetting every year pretty much...its not a strictly Jerry problem...its a League wide 'problem' you want to put on Jerry only to make him look bad. Its a league wide problem. What do you not understand about that?

I guess the whole league crumbles and has to start doing things that ruin football just to combat a Michael Jordan at QB? Lets ruin football just so we can beat Patrick Mahomes. "Only way to beat him is to fire every QB in the league not on a rookie deal and pray for the next Brady"

Its bad for football, its bad for fans, its bad for players, its bad for business. All...just to win. Lets reinvent the wheel and let good ball players go because of Patrick Mahomes. lol.

 

[kskboys]

That $89 million cap hit will be restructured next year, which will only create more problems down the road. If it were me, I'd ride out the $89 mil next year then cut him after the 2025 season post-June.

Hades, transfer even more money into 2025. The prorated signing/roster/whatever bonuses can be manipulated a ton.

 

[kskboys]

Dak is a franchise QB. And the QB market keeps resetting every year pretty much...its not a strictly Jerry problem...its a League wide 'problem' you want to put on Jerry only to make him look bad. Its a league wide problem. What do you not understand about that?

I guess the whole league crumbles and has to start doing things that ruin football just to combat a Michael Jordan at QB? Lets ruin football just so we can beat Patrick Mahomes. "Only way to beat him is to fire every QB in the league not on a rookie deal and pray for the next Brady"

Its bad for football, its bad for fans, its bad for players, its bad for business. All...just to win. Lets reinvent the wheel and let good ball players go because of Patrick Mahomes. lol.

It is a mess. Don't really see how they're going to get out of this.

 

[TheSport78]

Dak is a franchise QB. And the QB market keeps resetting every year pretty much...its not a strictly Jerry problem...its a League wide 'problem' you want to put on Jerry only to make him look bad. Its a league wide problem. What do you not understand about that?

I guess the whole league crumbles and has to start doing things that ruin football just to combat a Michael Jordan at QB? Lets ruin football just so we can beat Patrick Mahomes. "Only way to beat him is to fire every QB in the league not on a rookie deal and pray for the next Brady"

Its bad for football, its bad for fans, its bad for players, its bad for business. All...just to win. Lets reinvent the wheel and let good ball players go because of Patrick Mahomes. lol.

Can you define a "franchise QB?"