There is steam building about the potential of the Dallas Cowboys selecting a quarterback in the NFL Draft later this month, and former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum outlines the reasoning.
During a recent episode of ESPN’s Get Up, Tannenbaum says that the Cowboys may need to seriously consider taking a signal-caller in the event that 2024 ends up being Dak Prescott’s final year in Dallas.
Prescott is entering the last year of his deal and has reached a stalemate with the Cowboys in contract negotiations. He is reportedly seeking $60 million annually, a price Dallas seems unwilling to pay.
As a result, the Cowboys appear willing to allow Prescott to play out 2024 on a one-year pact and then test the free-agent market next March. They seem to be banking on the fact that no other team will offer Prescott $60 million per year, which would then allow Dallas to re-sign him on a more economical deal.
But if next season does indeed become Prescott’s swan song with the Cowboys, Tannenbaum is right in saying that they need to be prepared.
He poses the possibility of Dallas taking University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at No. 24, noting that Penix’s cap number would be very low.
Keep in mind that Tannenbaum is not saying that the Cowboys should do this; he is merely detailing the possibilities that exist for Dallas.
The Cowboys are in a tough spot financially. They are tight against the salary cap as it is, and they have to worry about paying Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and edge rusher Micah Parsons.
Prescott is coming off of a spectacular 2023 campaign in which he finished second in MVP voting after leading the league with 36 touchdown passes, so he obviously feels his value has increased.
Has it increased enough for the Cowboys—or some other team—to pay him $60 million annually?
We’ll see, but Dallas will certainly be an interesting club to monitor as the draft approaches.
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