Cowboys EVP outlines reasons for "holding money back" as Dallas sweats on CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott's contract extensions

The Dallas Cowboys were knocked out of the playoffs last season after a loss to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round. Afterward, team owner Jerry Jones said that he wasn't afraid to spend money and would go 'all in' this offseason to break the Super Bowl drought over the last three decades.

His son, Stephen Jones, who is the Executive Vice President of the Dallas Cowboys, made an appearance on 105.3 The Fan radio show and said that he feels the team has been 'all in' every season.

He said that Dallas spends the available salary cap every season but also gave a reason as to why he hasn't signed more key free agents this winter.

Stephen Jones said that in order to sign Dak Prescott, Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, they can't spend money on other players.

"It doesn't mean it happens overnight. But when you're wanting to sign players like Dak (Prescott) and Micah (Parsons) and CeeDee (Lamb), then you have to hold money back if you want to have a realistic chance of signing those guys." Jones said.

The Dallas Cowboys fan base is impatiently waiting for the organization to sign one of their key players to a contract extension. With Jones' recent stance that he is saving money for those contracts, fans' patience may start to run even thinner.

What could a Cowboys contract extension look like for Dak Prescott?

Quarterback Dak Prescott signed a four-year contract extension in March 2021 that was worth $160 million. The 30-year-old quarterback is heading into the final season of that contract and rumors of an extension have been rumbling for months.

The market for quarterback contracts has greatly increased over the last year. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts became the first quarterback to sign a contract worth over $50 million a season. Ravens' Lamar Jackson and Chargers' Justin Herbert have similar contracts and Bengals' Joe Burrow signed a $55 million deal.

A possible contract extension for Dak Prescott will likely put the quarterback at the top of the list of highest-paid quarterbacks, earning him around $55 million a season. Spotrac's latest prediction is possibly a three-year deal worth $180 million, which equates to $60 million a season.

What could a Cowboys contract extension look like for CeeDee Lamb?

Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb didn't report to voluntary workouts with the Dallas Cowboys this week. Dallas picked up the fifth-year option on the wide receiver's contract, which will pay him $17.199 million in the 2024 NFL season.

The 25-year-old first-team All-Pro has stated that he will let his agent handle the negotiations with the team.

According to Spotrac, CeeDee Lamb could sign an extension that will pay him around $30–$31 million a season. A four-year deal worth around $120 million a season is estimated.