National Football League

The $60 million question: How will Cowboys handle Dak Prescott's contract?

Updated Oct. 13, 2023 5:21 p.m. ET

Fortunately for the Dallas Cowboys, no on-field meltdown is self-sustaining.

With another opponent to prep for, no one can afford to linger too much longer on the 42-10 drubbing we witnessed last Sunday at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers. Even the most outraged fan on the Internet will find something new to direct their ire toward.

But the obvious question now is for how long? Assuming the Cowboys don't run the table, a lopsided loss is the type of thing that can compound on itself. Whether they suffer their next setback Monday night at SoFi Stadium or two months from now, the veneer of invincibility has long since faded away — far earlier in the season than most might've expected.

Most interestingly is the effect a 32-point loss has on the dialogue about Dak Prescott.

[Jerry Jones' faith in Dak Prescott, Mike McCarthy remains unshaken]

To be fair, the conversation around Prescott has been heated since he stepped into the starting job. He plays quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, after all.

But to put up such a rough performance in such a visible game, against the team that has ended the Cowboys' season the last two years, is bound to ratchet the discourse up a few clicks. Lest I sound judgmental, I filled an entire podcast with concerns I have about this Cowboys season and Dak's future.

Let's attempt a rational conversation about it.

For whatever his flaws may be, Dak Prescott is playing on a sizable contract for at least this season and the next. There isn't a lot the Cowboys can do to change that right now — nor should they want to. Prescott has a no-trade clause in his deal that gives him authority to veto any deals, and his cap hit makes him un-cuttable. He has started 104 more NFL games than new quarterback addition Trey Lance, and we have a host of metrics from 2022 that illustrate how the Cowboys were more efficient and scored more points with Dak Prescott as opposed to backup Cooper Rush.

If all that wasn't enough, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones did throw his full support behind Prescott after the loss in Santa Clara.

"I completely believe we have the quarterback that can take us where we want to go," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 FM The Fan in Dallas. "Dak Prescott is a quarterback that can get us to the Super Bowl. And that's the way that's going to be."

Dallas Cowboys: Overreaction or Issues ft. Trey Lance, Dak Prescott & Micah Parsons

With apologies to that coworker of yours or the guy at the barber shop, there's no logical reason why Dak's status should change this week, this month, this season.

Despite what Jones says, though, it does make you wonder about the big picture.

Prescott's contract has been a focus all offseason, and that scrutiny will increase with each twist and turn of the season. The fact that his next game (Monday vs. the Chargers) also falls in a standalone, primetime window is grade-A work from the NFL scriptwriters.

It's felt like a foregone conclusion for months that Prescott would get a timely contract extension done. There were some, like yours truly, who argued persistently that the extension should've been done during training camp to spare the team from this exact quandary.

The financial aspect is fairly important, too. It made sense to get Prescott extended early because it starts to look untenable in 2024. He will count almost $60 million against the cap next season, which would be an NFL record. In addition to the no-trade clause, he has a no-tag clause on his deal for 2025, which gives him ultimate authority in any sort of offseason dealings you might imagine. And with deals to get done for both Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb in the offseason, and new talent to acquire in March, carrying that type of charge for their quarterback would make it difficult for the Cowboys to build a contender around him.

Can Dak Prescott, Cowboys bounce back vs. Justin Herbert, Chargers?

Maybe not impossible, though. Lamb isn't a free agent until 2025, thanks to the fifth-year option on his contract. Parsons is a year behind him and will have at least two more years on his rookie deal. If Prescott underwhelms this season, it's possible the Cowboys grit their teeth and carry the charge. One season of financial pain may be worth it in their eyes for the flexibility to start anew at quarterback.

We're not likely to see their thought process soon. The Cowboys rarely negotiate contracts in-season, and certainly not one with stakes this high. Prescott will be the starter this season — and more than likely next season. And maybe he'll make this sort of speculation look silly by guiding the Cowboys deep into the postseason. That is still possible, no matter what the scoreboard at Levi's Stadium said.

Until then, though, it feels more than fair to wonder. Sunday was the type of loss that makes you think.

David Helman covers the Dallas Cowboys for FOX Sports. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team's official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing "Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion" about the quarterback's time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.