The Dallas Cowboys are entering a pivotal 2024 season for the franchise. Owner Jerry Jones promised that Dallas would go “all in” on winning this season but delivered an underwhelming offseason. The team has also failed to agree to any long-term contracts with its core players. It appears that the team may now have to deal with some sort of Dak Prescott injury.
Dak Prescott was seen yesterday wearing a protective walking boot on his right foot. According to NFL insider Ian Rapaport, Prescott is dealing with a very minor foot sprain and has been for a few days. Another source told ESPN that Prescott is no longer wearing the boot.
Cowboys fans are likely panicking after learning that their franchise QB is injured on the fourth of July. But don't worry, Rapaport reports that the injury is not considered to be anything that should affect his preparation for 2024.
The proximity of the injury to Cowboys training camp (which kicks off on July 25th) is cause for some concern. Any delay for Dak Prescott's offseason work could put the Cowboys behind the eight ball to beginning of the season. This is not ideal for a Cowboys team that opens the season against a ferocious Cleveland Browns defense. They also play the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3.
If the Cowboys do not get off to a hot start in 2024, their jobs will be all the more difficult for the remainder of the season.
Dak Prescott is in the final year of his current contract. Contract negotiations have stalled between his camp and the Cowboys, which suggests he could become a free agent in 2025.
Dak Prescott among core Cowboys players with uncertain contract situation
Cowboys fans are frustrated with the team's current contract situation with many of its key players.
Core pieces like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons are not locked down with long-term contracts. This has caused some fans and analysts to worry that the Cowboys are preparing for a possible rebuild in 2025. That is, if they do not have a successful season in 2024.
Recently, former NFL player Chris Long posited that Jerry Jones is clearing a path for former New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick to coach the team next season.
It is not hard to understand the concern here. Prescott and Lamb are the team's two most important offensive players and Parsons is their best defender. The possibility of losing any, or all, of those players is terrifying for fans to consider.
Even if you imagine that Dallas will retain these players, it is bad process to wait so long to re-sign them. Elite players in the NFL routinely reset the market when they sign contract extensions, which makes every contract that comes after that one more expensive. The price tag on CeeDee Lamb has risen multiple times this offseason alone, with other top receivers like Amon-Ra St. Brown and A.J. Brown inking lucrative new deals. CeeDee Lamb can easily command more than those players.
As with most things in the NFL, winning fixes everything. If the Cowboys can make a deep playoff run in 2024, everyone will probably forget what they were worried about in the summer.
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