Tag: Prescott

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

QB Dak Prescott surprised Cowboys traded Micah Parsons

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is one of the few players on the roster who knew precisely what it was like to be in Micah Parsons’ shoes in August.

Prescott was given some of the same lines during contract negotiations that Parsons heard from franchise owner Jerry Jones and the Dallas brass, specifically about performing in a contract year to earn another one with more security. There was friction between Jones and Prescott when the quarterback played the length of his rookie contract and subsequent franchise tag year before signing a four-year extension on the first game day of the 2024 season.

So when Jones pulled the plug and traded Parsons — a two-time All-Pro pass rusher — to the Green Bay Packers last Thursday, Prescott wasn’t shocked. But he was surprised it unraveled so suddenly.

“I can’t say I was completely surprised, but I definitely didn’t think he was going to get traded, I’ll say that,” Prescott said. “But just with (how) their negotiations went down, obviously to some extent … it seemed like it got personal on their ends, so that’s why I wasn’t surprised.”

Prior to the trade, Prescott and head coach Brian Schottenheimer both expressed confidence Parsons would be on the field when the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kick off the regular season on Thursday night. He said he’s glad not to be fielding questions about whether Parsons will play and is more comfortable knowing his former teammate is happy with the result.

“As much as anything, it’s good that a solution happened. Micah got paid, got paid very well,” Prescott said. “Great for him and his family. We’ll see him here in about a month. Just honestly glad that, I can’t say glad, but glad that we moved past that and everybody seems happy because of it.”

Parsons, 26, continues to deal with a back injury that could impact his availability in Week 1 and beyond. The Packers visit the Cowboys for a Sunday night game in Week 4 on Sept. 28.

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs still isn’t prepared to see Parsons in another uniform.

“I think everybody was surprised,” Diggs said of the trade. “I was really surprised, I really thought it was going to get done so we could just stay a family. Just him being here all his years, but unfortunately that’s not what God had for him.”

A Pro Bowl selection in each of his four seasons, Parsons has racked up 52.5 sacks through the first 63 games of his career. He was the 12th overall pick by the Cowboys in the 2021 draft.

–Field Level Media

Jun 10, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) leads teammates through a drill at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott ‘full go’ for training camp

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott declared himself a “full go” for training camp and fully recovered from season-ending surgery in November to repair a partial avulsion of the hamstring tendon.

Prescott, 31, did not play in the final nine games last season and has yet to be given the green light from the Cowboys’ medical staff, he said. Dallas was 3-5 at the time of his injury and finished the 2024 season 7-10.

“I’m healthy as I’ll be,” Prescott told reporters at his youth camp in Southlake, Texas, on Tuesday. “I’ll be full go for camp. I’m healthy. Yeah, I think soon here I’ll probably get the official sign off from doc, but I’m healthy.”

Dallas reports to training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on July 20, where the Cowboys begin to assimilate to new head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s system and the fresh faces acquired to fill in around Prescott.

The Cowboys acquired wide receiver George Pickens from the Pittsburgh Steelers, drafted running back Jaydon Blue, signed veteran running backs Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and shuffled the offensive line.

Perennial Pro Bowl guard Zack Martin retired and the Cowboys invested their first-round pick in Alabama right guard Tyler Booker. There’s pressure on the shoulders of left tackle Tyler Guyton, a first-round pick in 2024, to help prevent Prescott from missing time with injury for the third time in six seasons.

After the quarterback pulled his new skill-position cast together in Georgia he said he’s “excited as hell” to be the one tasked with keeping all of them happily involved.

“We’ve just got to continue to grow that and continue to make sure that that’s trending the right way,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, owner Jerry Jones and receiver Amari Cooper talk prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Super ‘shocker’ for Jerry Jones: Cowboys not in Super Bowl LIX

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is in New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX and the accompanying festivities, but the trip hasn’t been exactly what he expected, apparently.

In an interview with The Athletic, Jones said it is a “shocker” that his team isn’t in the big game, especially after he invested a total of $376 million — including $331 million in guarantees — in contract extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.

“I wouldn’t have signed Dak Prescott, the highest-paid player in the NFL, if now wasn’t when we wanted to win,” Jones said. “This is a shocker to be here at this Super Bowl and not have the Cowboys here. I didn’t plan on that when I made that agreement with him. So we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”

Instead, the Cowboys finished the regular season at 7-10, and Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury in Week 9.

Head coach Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys split after the season, with Brian Schottenheimer being promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach.

Jones told The Athletic he has all the confidence in Schottenheimer.

“I looked at 25 years of being on many staffs in the NFL,” Jones said of his new coach. “I looked at sitting around that dinner table with his daddy, Marty Schottenheimer, and I know what osmosis does. It doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 10, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) walks off the field after the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Cowboys put QB Dak Prescott on IR, elevate DB Josh Butler

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The Dallas Cowboys officially placed quarterback Dak Prescott on injured reserve and elevated cornerback Josh Butler to the active roster ahead of Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans.

Prescott underwent season-ending surgery to repair a partial avulsion of his hamstring tendon last week.

Cooper Rush makes his second straight start under center Monday when the Cowboys (3-6) host the Texans (6-4).

Butler, 27, has been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster in each of the past two games. The former USFL player made his NFL debut in Week 9 and has recorded one tackle while playing nine snaps on defense and 22 on special teams.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) is set to start with quarterback Dak Prescott (4) likely to be placed on IR. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Long November: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott likely to land on IR

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is likely to be placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, which would rule him out for the month of November.

The Cowboys (3-5) ruled Prescott out for Week 10 against the visiting Philadelphia Eagles (6-2) with backup Cooper Rush named the starter for Sunday’s matchup with their NFC East rival.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Prescott would “likely” be placed on injured reserve, a transaction that requires him to miss the next four games by NFL rule. That’s a dire stretch for Dallas. The Cowboys host the Eagles, play the Houston Texans (6-3) in primetime, then play twice in five days. Before entertaining the Giants (2-7) on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys get their first look at former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn’s Commanders (7-2) on Nov. 24.

Prescott would be eligible to be added back to the active roster for the Dec. 9 “Monday Night Football” matchup with the Bengals (4-5).

With Dallas trailing the Falcons 27-13 near the end of the third quarter , Prescott appeared to grimace after a 10-yard pass to Jalen Brooks. He stayed in the game but was ruled out with 11:08 left in the fourth quarter. Prescott said he first felt the pain the play before the completion to Brooks, when he was getting up after a 5-yard scramble.

Rush, who replaced Prescott on Sunday, will be backed up by Trey Lance when the Cowboys entertain the Eagles.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Rush is the most respected backup quarterback he’s coached since Rich Gannon.

“(He) carries that type of credibility. He’s a great teammate. He’s someone that you can see the young guys lean on,” McCarthy said. “He’s wicked smart, instinctive. He does a great job when he runs the scout team. He just does everything the right way. Excellent pro. There will be plenty of confidence in him.”

Making his 36th straight start, Prescott was 18-of-24 passing for 133 yards and a touchdown, along with a season-high 30 rushing yards. The 31-year-old entered the day with 24 rushing yards this season.

Rush led Dallas’ comeback bid. He passed for 115 yards and a touchdown. Rush has played sparingly of late behind Prescott, but after the longtime starting QB broke his right thumb in the 2022 season opener, Rush went 4-1 as the starter.

Prescott also missed 11 games in 2020 with a right ankle injury and sat out one game the next season due to a strained right calf.

–Field Level Media

Jun 4, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and quarterback Cooper Rush (10) and quarterback Trey Lance (19) talk during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys’ Cooper Rush remains QB2 ahead of Trey Lance

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cooper Rush will back up Dak Prescott, while Trey Lance will remain the third quarterback to start the season in Dallas, coach Mike McCarthy said Monday.

The Cowboys open the season on the road Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Rush, 30, is entering his seventh campaign with Dallas (2017-19, 2021-23). He is 5-1 as a starter, completing 60.6 percent of his passes in 26 total games for 1,619 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

Lance, 24, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was traded to the Cowboys before the 2023 season for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. He did not take any snaps for Dallas last season.

Lance was 2-2 with the 49ers from 2021-22, completing 54.9 percent of his throws in eight total games for 797 yards with five TDs and three picks. He also rushed for 235 yards and one score.

Lance had a miserable showing in the Cowboys’ final preseason game, tossing five interceptions in a 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 24.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) and quarterback Dak Prescott (4) talk during the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys commit to Dak Prescott, ‘all in’ on youth movement

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are committed to staying together in Dallas, but owner Jerry Jones warned the cost is likely a diminished roster around the quarterback in the future.

Prescott is entering the final season of a four-year, $160 million deal and cannot be given the franchise tag under terms of the agreement. None of that is bothering Jones, who said the partnership is certain to continue.

“We want Dak Prescott. That’s that. The improvement demonstrated (last season) that there’s more. We want Dak. We think there is room for growth,” Jones said Tuesday in a pre-draft press conference. “Dak, quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, I wouldn’t even blink on that.”

Prescott finished second in NFL MVP voting in 2023. He said last week “real negotiations” with the Cowboys haven’t begun but he has a $55.445 million salary cap hit that could be reduced with a long-term extension.

The 30-year-old has only played for the Cowboys since being drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft.

But Jones warned not to judge progress toward a new deal with Prescott by whether they are talking contract before the draft. There are other big fish — and large contracts — in the picture for the Cowboys with wide receiver CeeDee Lamb set to play this season on his fifth-year option and pass rusher Micah Parsons in the final year of his rookie deal with the fifth-year team option available to the front office in 2025.

“We’d like to see more leaves fall. We’d like to see more action,” Jones said of looming negotiations. “It’s called option quarterback. I’ve spent my life (playing) option quarterback. I want to see some more cards played.”

As for the supporting cast in 2024, Jones stood on his statement at the start of the offseason that the Cowboys are “all in,” despite being mostly passive observers during free agency.

“We’re all in with these young guys … We’re all in with this draft,” Jones said.

The Cowboys draft 24th in the first round and voiced confidence they would land an excellent player. In 2022, the Cowboys drafted Tyler Smith with the No. 24 pick and landed wide receiver Dez Bryant in that same spot in 2010.

–Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and linebacker Micah Parsons (11) during training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones ‘holding money back’ to re-sign big-ticket stars

Posted on | by Field Level Media

All-in can be relative, or at least the meaning applies in different ways according to Cowboys senior vice president Stephen Jones.

From Jones’ front office seat, he still views the Cowboys as all-in for 2024 despite passive spending in free agency, Jones said in a radio interview with 105.3 FM The Fan on Tuesday.

“We spend max, max money year in and year out. All 32 can only spend the same amount of money over a five-year stretch,” Jones said. “When we’re all said and done, we max out our salary cap every year. We will have done that. What comes with having a good roster, which we do, we’re also looking towards signing our own guys.

“It doesn’t mean it happens overnight. But when you’re wanting to sign players like Dak (Prescott) and Micah (Parsons) and CeeDee (Lamb), then you have to hold money back if you want to have a realistic chance of signing those guys.”

Prescott is entering the final year of a four-year, $160 million contract. His deal could be the most pressing because of the paved exit the terms of the deal would provide the 30-year-old.

Lamb is an option for the franchise tag next spring after he plays the 2024 season on a fifth-year option. But after setting a franchise record for receptions in an All-Pro season, Lamb plans to skip voluntary workouts as the market value for wide receivers continues to climb.

Waiting might not help in the case of Parsons, either. He’s under contract for 2024 and the Cowboys hold a team option for his fifth season in 2025.

But the new rate for high-end pass rushers was reset in offseason deals for Brian Burns (five years, $87.5 million guaranteed, $141.5 million with the New York Giants) and Josh Allen (five years, $141.25 million, up to $88 million guaranteed).

Owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners meetings in March that Prescott’s contract would be discussed with the understanding that the size of deals for Super Bowl-capable quarterbacks will impact the team’s salary cap for the next “five years.”

Reading between the lines, the Cowboys are likely to ask Prescott to carry more weight with less proven talent around him.

As for Stephen Jones, he still sees the franchise as being all-in on 2024.

“Everybody has their own definition of what that means, but I’ve never not known us to be all-in, nor have I known anyone we compete against not to be all-in,” he said.

–Field Level Media

Aug 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott , owner Jerry Jones and receiver Amari Cooper talk prior to the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Cowboys restructure QB Dak Prescott deal, create $4M cap space

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott restructured his contract to lower his nearly $60 million salary cap figure for 2024 and create $4 million for Dallas under the cap, according to multiple reports.

Prescott is entering the final year of a four-year, $160 million contract. The 30-year-old agreed to add void years to his contract to allow the Cowboys to convert his $5 million roster bonus to a signing bonus, ESPN reported, which removes $4 million from the team’s 2024 cap.

At $55.45 million, Prescott’s cap figure remains the second-highest in the NFL for 2024 behind Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson ($63.97 million).

A long-term contract extension is expected for Prescott and would lower his cap figure immensely and might be necessary with free agency looming for pass rusher Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, among others on the Dallas roster.

Prescott on Monday also introduced his baby daughter to fans with photos posted to social media. Prescott and his girlfriend, Sarah Jane Ramos, shared five pictures of the newborn nicknamed MJ — Margaret Rose Jane Prescott.

“Being your parents is the biggest blessing life has to offer and we are so fortunate that you are ours! Welcome into this world, baby girl, you will always be loved and protected! We are so IN LOVE with you, Love, Mom & Dad,” the post reads.

–Field Level Media

Jul 31, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and chief operating officer Stephen Jones (left) during training camp at the Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge playing fields. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones says he understands fans frustration

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones acknowledged that the team’s front office is “very aware” of the club’s frustrated fan base after little splash was made during free agency.

Sure, the Cowboys added veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks on a one-year agreement on Wednesday, however the fans expected more — especially after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said earlier this offseason that he planned to go “all in.”

And “all in” didn’t include signing two-time rushing champion Derrick Henry, who told Mad Dog Sports Radio that the Cowboys didn’t even reach out to him. That comes on the heels of seeing Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia) and Aaron Jones (Minnesota) — who lives in Dallas during the offseason — land with other teams while the Cowboys saw fellow running back Tony Pollard join the Tennessee Titans.

“Everybody certainly has that right (to be frustrated),” Stephen Jones said Thursday, via The Athletic. “I know where the frustration is, it’s the fact that we haven’t had success in the playoffs to their satisfaction. Until we do that, then the criticism is certainly something that’s going to be there. We know that’s going to be there, but we’re going to stick with what we believe will ultimately get us a championship here for our fans. We don’t define ‘all in’ by what you spend in free agency. It’s keeping the core (together).”

Dallas has little cap space to work with. The Cowboys also have quarterback Dak Prescott seeking a contract extension and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons in line for large deals.

“It’s not frustrating because it means we’ve done a good job with the draft,” Stephen Jones said when asked about seeing big-name free agents land elsewhere. “That’s just a sign, in my mind, that our organization, Will (McClay) and the scouting department, the coaches, we’ve done our job in terms of developing players. It’s a great thing when you have Micah and CeeDee and the Dak (contract) challenge ahead of us, in terms of getting them under the cap. We’re certainly all in on getting that done.

“When you want to keep your players that you’ve developed and worked so hard to get … then you’re not going to be able to go out and chase those (high-dollar free agent) guys. … The way I look at things, I’ve always said it, player acquisition is 365 days a year. It’s not just the first or second or third day of free agency.”

Prescott, 30, is entering his ninth season and the final campaign of a four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. Prescott’s salary-cap figure in 2024 is $59.5 million and the Cowboys reportedly have held preliminary discussions regarding a long-term extension.

Nine quarterbacks have signed contracts with higher total values since Prescott and the Cowboys completed their existing agreement.

Lamb, 24, heads into the 2024 season on the last season of his contract thanks to a fifth-year option.

However, after a season in which he set franchise records for receptions (135) and receiving yards (1,749), Lamb is expected to seek a significant increase from his $17.9 million fifth-year salary. That would bring him more in line with the annual salaries of other wide receivers in the league like Miami’s Tyreek Hill ($30 million) and Las Vegas’ Davante Adams ($28 million).

Parsons, 24, also has the numbers to earn a raise, having earned Pro Bowl team and All-Pro nods in each of his first three seasons. Selected by the Cowboys with the 12th pick of the 2021 NFL Draft, Parsons has one year left on his rookie deal, with this offseason being the first opportunity to extend his deal.

Parsons had 14.0 sacks to lead the Cowboys in 2023. He has a career total of 40.5 sacks in 50 games, all starts.

–Field Level Media