The Dallas Cowboys did it yet again and Dak Prescott — with the season on the line and legitimate expectations for a Super Bowl run from smart people both inside the Dallas building and media/analysts from outside — believed this 2023 squad was different.
Why?
Prescott was in the discussion for NFL MVP this season and closed out arguably the best regular season of his career. The Cowboys entered the wildcard round matchup as two-score favorites over the Green. Bay Packers, who have a first-year starting QB and the youngest roster in the NFL.
Dak Prescott closed out the 2023 regular season ranked in the top five in several major categories for NFL QB. He came into Sunday’s playoff matchup against the Green Bay Packers with 4,516 yards (3rd), 36 touchdowns (1st), 9 interceptions and a QB rating of 72.5 (2nd).
Although some rolled there eyes when Jerry Jones and company decided to fire Kellen Moore at the end of last season — as he’s regarded as one of the up and coming young and brilliant offensive minds — head coach Mike McCarthy took over play calling and the Dallas Cowboys offense looked elite for the majority of the year.
Finally, Prescott and CeeDee Lamb found the perfect chemistry and emerged as arguably the top QB/WR tandem in the league.
Beyond Dak Prescott and the explosive offense that averaged 389 yards and 30 points per game and finished with 77 touchdowns in the regular season, the Dallas Cowboys had a defense that finished the season ranked 5th in the NFL.
After another disappointing early exit in the playoffs, the Dallas brass entered the offseason with more question marks than answers.
Jan 14, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) drops back to pass against the Green Bay Packers in the first half of the 2024 NFC wild card game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Initially, the expectation was Jerry Jones and company would sign Prescott to a contract extension to free up cap space and keep the core of their star players in place.
But in a recent development, reports have confirmed both Prescott and the Cowboys are going to let their franchise QB finish out his current deal, making him a free agent after 2024.
Dallas Cowboys Expected To Replace Dak Prescott With Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Jan 1, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Washington Huskies in the 2024 Sugar Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
While Jones and the Cowboys brass have reiterated they plan to keep Prescott around as their franchise signal caller beyond 2024, it feels like this could be his last season as the team’s starting QB.
Unless he can somehow lead a team — with far less talent than the 2023 squad due to key losses in free agency and almost no action to replace starters on both sides of the ball — deep into the playoffs it’s hard to envision Dallas keeping Prescott at this point.
If the Dallas Cowboys truly had faith in him moving forward, they would have extended up to free up cap space now and have the ability to add more talent around him.
Pro Football Focus has a rather intriguing pick for the Cowboys in their first mock draft of 2025, given the way the 2024 offseason has unfolded.
That would be Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, whom the Cowboys would take to replace Dak Prescott. That presumes, as is looking increasingly likely, that Prescott will not get an extension from the Cowboys in 2024 and will play out the season as the final year on his contract. If that happens, perhaps Ewers is their man going forward.