The Dallas Cowboys wasted no time pouncing on Trey Lance’s situation with the San Francisco 49ers. They gave up a fourth-round pick for the former third overall pick, who incidentally, is looking like the No. 3 guy in the quarterback pecking order in Dallas behind Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
If you listen to the rumor mill, however, it appears that Dallas’ move on the Niners outcast could have something to do with Prescott and his looming contract extension.
Dak Prescott’s Contract Situation With Dallas Cowboys
Conspiracy theories have been floating around pertaining to Lance being some sort of bargaining chip for the Cowboys as they continue to negotiate Prescott’s extension. At the moment, the two-time Pro Bowler’s contract runs through 2024 with Dallas taking a massive $59.5 million cap hit next year thanks to Dak’s gargantuan salary.
As it is, it’s very much possible that Prescott will ask for even more money in his new deal. Dallas would have to thank the Cincinnati Bengals for that after they made Joe Burrow the highest-paid player in NFL history with an average annual income of $55 million.
While he hasn’t looked the part thus far, Lance could emerge as a future QB1 for Dallas — something that the front office might just take into consideration when they go to the negotiation table with Prescott.
Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones was recently asked to comment on these murmurs, to which the high-ranking team executive was quick to shut down such talk. According to Jones, the Lance trade was a personnel decision over anything else:
“We look at personnel around here as upgrading the room,” Jones said in an appearance on SiriusXM NFL Radio (h/t Mike Florio of PFT). “And at each position, we’re always trying to make our roster better. We just felt like that Trey gave us something that improved that room, in terms of if something were to happen to Dak. We all know he’s missed 15 games over the last three years. So, you know, if something were to happen and you needed to make a run without Dak, then you wanna have given yourself every opportunity to go in there and have success without Dak.”
Stephen Jones Speaks Out on Dak Prescott’s Status With Team
Stephen Jones also took the opportunity to heap praise on Prescott. The Cowboys VP made it abundantly clear that Dak Prescott is their cornerstone quarterback for now and for the future:
“Dak’s the unquestioned leader here on this football team,” Jones added. “He’s got rare skills in that area in terms of being able to lead the team. You know, we look at Dak as a guy who’s gonna be around here for many, many years to come. And I just really felt like Trey Lance, you know, upgraded the room and gives us a chance if something were to happen to Dak to stay in the mix like other teams have done in the past. I know Philly did it one year with Nick Foles. And sometimes you don’t get your Number One guy all the way through the year and it’s always nice to improve that room.”
Either way, it will be very interesting to see what kind of contract the Cowboys end up negotiating with Prescott in the coming year/s.
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