Dallas Cowboys' Contract Negotiations with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb

As the 2024 NFL season approaches, the Dallas Cowboys are at a critical time as they must manage complex contract negotiations with two important payers: Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. Jerry Jones has only a short time by which he will need to make a new deal with both players, leading to what could be a transformative time for the franchise.

As an unrestricted free agent in the coming year, there is not much holding Dak Prescott back, and his contract does include a no-trade clause. Because the team will be unable to use a franchise tag for Prescott, leverage in the contract falls heavily to the player side, causing issues for the Eagles. According to those familiar with the situation, Prescott could bring in as much as $60 million if he plays the same way he did last season. He likely took notice when Jordan Love and Trevor Lawrence signed deals as quarterbacks. Given the lack of concerns for jerkiness in his negotiations, Prescott will likely get his fair due.

On the other side, the Eagles will be able to focus more heavily on negotiating a contract with CeeDee Lamb and will need to watch the coming season out of fear of losing the player to free agency. Specifically, reports indicate that Lamb’s negotiations could settle as much as $30 million per year. It is the final season of his rookie contract, and the team would prefer to stabilize his paychecks as quickly as possible.

There are many implications to the decisions that will be made by the team in the coming season. One of the most immediate of these is that the Eagles will have difficulty maintaining a high degree of budget flexibility in order to keep other strong players. This summer, the organization made a number of rookie draft pick selections that it is likely still hoping to develop.

From other teams’ perspectives, though it may be easy to individually evaluate each of the two big contracts in isolation, it is critical for staff to consider what these long-term contracts will mean in terms of the team’s overall roster-building strategy. In the next few years, NFL front offices will be keeping close watch over the players to see which of the two sides can use the deals to leverage future contracts. They may also continue to ask about whether salaries such as Prescott’s will continue to be built up in a manner that is sustainable for all parties.

As the league year is coming to a close, the lifting of the no-contact ban presented management on both sides with an urgent situation that has multiple implications for the balance of the team’s salary cap and likely the team’s performance in the coming years. Both players have outstanding claims for what they should be paid based on their prior performance. While there could be significant implications in the contracts over the coming years, both might have to respond to the question of quality of life and expiration.