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With Trey Lance coming to the Dallas Cowboys, Dak Prescott has been put on notice. The message from the Cowboys to their starting quarterback is simple: we have a young quarterback who we can use to move on from you.
The former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has undoubted talent, which is why he was chosen third overall by the team after giving up three first-round picks. The issue for him, though, has been his health, as he got injured at the beginning of last season, right after he was named the starter.
With Brock Purdy's emergence, the franchise has decided to make him their franchise quarterback and move on from their former first-round pick, However, if he can use his talent and keep him free of injuries, Trey Lance could be an exceptional player for the Dallas Cowboys.
He's just 23, which is younger than some rookie quarterbacks in the NFL today. That seems to be Dallas' thinking as well, which is bad news for Dak Prescott.
Dak Prescott's current contract
Dak Prescott singed his current contract in 2021. It's a four-year $160 million deal, with an average annual value of $40 million.
Out of that, $126 million is guaranteed. The signing bonus of $66 million was the biggest in the NFL that time. Quite clearly, the Dallas Cowboys went all in on him and hoped that he would lead them to their first Super Bowl this century.
There has been a restructure of his contract in the offseason, which converted most of the money to signing bonuses. That also entailed a dead money of nearly $90 million for this season, which reduces to around $40 million in 2024.
Given that he could become a free agent after the 2024 season, a contract extension discussion could have been opened either during the season or before the next season begins.
Now, with the acquisition of Trey Lance, the latter option seems more feasible. Clearly, the Cowboys want to see how he performs this year and then decide if they want to tie him up with a big contract extension.
It's an admission of the fact that as good as Prescott has been, he has not been able to really do it in the postseason when it matters.
Trey Lance's arrival shines light on Dak Prescott's failures
Before we go on to critique Dak Prescott, it's important to remember that he has been a good player for the Dallas Cowboys. That's why he received the contract extension in the first place.
He has 24,943 passing yards, 166 touchdowns and a 97.8 passer rating. That puts him third, second and first in each of those categories in franchise history. However, he's only 2-4 in the playoffs.
One of them came against Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season, who were the only team coming into the postseason with a losing record. Last season, he also threw the most interceptions by a quarterback, despite missing a third of the seasond due to injuries.
Particularly galling was the loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round last season, where the defense restricted their opponents to 19 points. and they only scored 12. It's that inconsistency that has led the Cowboys to re-evaluate if they need to move on from their starter.
Getting Trey Lance as a developmental prospect lets them develop a young quarterback in the mold that they want. If he can play as per his NFL Draft billing as a first-rounder, he should be fighting for the starting spot.
Given that Dak Prescott's contract extension is coming up soon, this season becomes critical. He needs to prove himself to Jerry Jones and the Dallas fans, otherwise he knows that there's a potential successor waiting in the wings.
