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Dak Prescott is in the final year of his current contract with the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones is yet to offer him a new deal. He signed a four-year, $160 million contract in 221, which will make him a free agent in 2025. With no tags and no trade clauses in place, it is imperative that Dallas locks him up this year if they want to retain him for the future.
Of course, Jerry Jones could look at an alternate future without Dak Prescott in it. He has seen the team reach the playoffs for three seasons in succession in a strong position, only to lose twice at home and never reach the NFC Championships. Last season's loss was particularly harrowing as they lost to the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in a blowout loss when their team looked to have all the pieces to make a Super Bowl run.
Now, with a weaker team, having lost veterans in free agency and Mike McCarthy also in the last year of his contract, Jerry Jones could decide to cut his losses with Dak Prescott after the upcoming season. He might come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is to draft a rookie quarterback and let him learn behind the veteran so that they can take command from next season.
If that is the direction the Cowboys owner wants to go, he might want to look at the below list of some quarterbacks he can draft this year.
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Potential Dak Prescott replacement for Jerry Jones in the 2024 NFL Draft
1. Michael Penix Jr.
Dallas enters the 2024 NFL Draft with the 24th pick in the first round. Assuming that they cannot trade their position with anyone else and this is where they are set to pick, they can select Michael Penix Jr., who should be available at this spot.
If we are assuming Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels, and J.J. McCarthy are the first four quarterbacks picked, then Michael Penix Jr. is probably the next best bet. We predict that the three teams at the top of this draft will take the first three quarterbacks and the Minnesota Vikings might trade up to take the fourth of the bunch.
That will leave Michael Penix Jr. still available. Having led the Washington Huskies to this year's National Championship, he has the winning mentality that Jerry Jones is searching for to replace Dak Prescott.
2. Bo Nix
Consider the above scenario plays out as assumed but the Denver Broncos decide that they like themselves a quarterback too. That means it is likely that even Michael Penix Jr. will not be available at the 24th spot for Jerry Jones. Luckily for him, Bo Nix still might.
The 2024 Fiesta Bowl offensive MVP holds the record for best completion percentage in NCAA with an astounding 77.45 completion percentage in the 2023 season. He could be the welcome antidote to Dak Prescott, who has developed a habit of throwing interceptions at the most inopportune moments.
Bo Nix is also the recipient of the 2023 William V. Campbell Trophy, which is given to the athlete who best manages academic, community service, and athletic performance. Such awards show his leadership capabilities.
3. Spencer Rattler
The situation outlined above is certainly plausible but it might be that even Bo Nix is not available at the 24th spot. Beyond the first three, if the Vikings trade up and then the Broncos and the Raiders pick quarterbacks as well, then Jerry Jones will have to settle for the next best option.
That is Spencer Rattler. The former Oklahoma quarterback won the 2020 Big 12 Championship as the starting quarterback and was the favorite for the 2021 Heisman Trophy until the emergence of Caleb Williams. He moved to South Carolina and resurrected his career and has shown the capacity to win and persevere, qualities that are highly valued in the NFL.
He also won the 2024 Senior Bowl MVP, cementing his credentials. He might be available even in the second round and the Cowboys could decide to strengthen their current roster with their first pick before picking a quarterback in the second. Dak Prescott himself was a fourth-round pick and has not done too shabbily and Tony Romo before him was undrafted. Maybe, Spencer Rattler will be the next hidden diamond they mine.
4. J.J. McCarthy
All the above situations assumed the Dallas Cowboys staying where they are. But if Jerry Jones wants to go all-in, as he said, he could choose to trade up in the draft and get a top-rated quarterback.
The first three picks belong to the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders, and the New England Patriots, in that order. All of them need quarterbacks and are unlikely to trade down. But the fourth pick belongs to the Arizona Cardinals and they could be open to a good offer.
The Cowboys could decide to trade up to the fourth spot and draft a quarterback. If Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are the first three to go, J.J. McCarthy might be available and he could be an excellent choice that might bring back some vigor back to the franchise.
5. Michael Pratt
The Cowboys could decide to spend the first few picks building up a roster around Dak Prescott and giving him another chance to win the Super Bowl this year. They could decide to wait until the later rounds to get a quarterback in that case.
One such options could be Michael Pratt. He was the 2023 AAC Offensive Player of the Year when playing for Tulane. He has consistently improved his completion rate every year in college and has 90 passing touchdowns and 28 rushing touchdowns in four years. He could be the late-round steal like the San Francisco 49ers did with Brock Purdy and something Jerry Jones will be proud to pull off.
