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Dak Prescott has served as the starting quarterback for Dallas Cowboys in the last seven NFL seasons. He took over as the starter during his rookie year when Tony Romo went down with an injury and never looked back. He will be the starter once again for the upcoming 2023 NFL season, as long as he's healthy.
While there's no quarterback controversy in Dallas in 2023, Jerry Jones may be starting to think about an eventual replacement for Prescott.
In addition to bringing Cooper Rush back on a new contract to continue as backup quarterback, Jones is also reportedly looking into some of the top prospects of the 2023 NFL Draft.
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The Cowboys are one of many teams who have expressed interest in Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O'Connell ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft. Jones has apparently progressed from speculative interest to legitimate consideration when it comes to taking on a quarterback in the draft this year.
He hosted a private workout for O'Connell to get as close of a look as possible at the popular prospect.
The fact that Jerry Jones is exploring quarterback options in the draft could mean that he's considering the possibility of Prescott's days as Cowboys starter being limited.
While he's been relatively successful, including four appearances in the NFL Playoffs, Dak Prescott has failed to deliver the Super Bowl ring that Jones openly desires.
His contract situation further suggests that his future in Dallas could potentially be limited.
Dak Prescott's contract with the Dallas Cowboys is running out
Dak Prescott set NFL records when he signed a massive contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys worth $160 million across four years. He's currently in the middle of that contract, with just two years remaining before he potentially becomes an unrestricted free agent following the 2024 NFL season. This means he's nearing extension discussions once again.
A further look into the details of the contract suggests that it's possible the Cowboys may part ways with Prescott even sooner. He carries an enormous $59 million cap hit for the 2024 season, more than doubling his $27 million cap hit in 2023.
Unless they restructure the deal or agree to another extension prior to the start of the 2024 NFL season, Jerry Jones may be looking to move on.
Parting ways with Dak Prescott during the 2024 NFL offseason will save the Cowboys up to $34 million in available cap space. It's unclear if that's the motive for Jones, but he's likely already planning for contract negotiations to lower the ridiculous cap hit. If those talks fall through, they will need another solution at quarterback.
Their interest in Aidan O'Connell and other quarterback prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft could be a fall-back option for the future if things don't go in Jones' favor.
He has already released Ezekiel Elliot this year and has admitted his growing impatience with their pursuit of a Super Bowl. If Jerry Jones becomes desperate, there's no telling what will happen to Dak Prescott moving forward.
