A proposed trade with the Cowboys would replace Dak Prescott with a 36-TD quarterback.
The Dallas Cowboys are making plans through the 2024 season, and that includes the future of quarterback Dak Prescott, who is entering the final year of his contract. There is speculation as to whether Dallas will stick with him in the future. Many rumors suggest that this may indeed be the case. However, USA Today’s K.D. Drummond offered them a way out of Prescott. This includes a plan to buy back the No. 24 of the first round to sign Washington star QB Michael Penix Jr. Selected 31st overall.
“In this scenario, the Cowboys have Prescott as their interior bridge to the future. This can happen in a number of ways,” Drummond wrote on January 30. “Perhaps Prescott will finish the last year of his contract and Dallas will hand over the reins to Penix in 2025. Perhaps the choice upset Prescott so much that he not only considered walking away from the business, but asked for it. Dallas could then trade Prescott, who ends the season as a top-three candidate for a multiple pick.
Taking a QB in the first round would be a surprising decision for Dallas. That said, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is known for moves like the one Drummond describes.
Michael Penix Jr. Finished second in Heisman voting.
There is no shortage of quality QB play at the college level in 2023. Of all the impressive displays, only LSU QB Jayden Daniels beat out Penix in the Heisman race. Thanks to Penis, Washington not only won the Pac-12, but made an unexpected appearance in the National Championship. Penix has 4,903 passing yards and 36 touchdowns. Size is always a consideration, but he completed 65.4 percent of his passes and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt. It’s absurd and surprising that Penix had a very similar junior season (65.3% completion percentage, 4,641 passing yards, 31 touchdowns). The Heisman runner-up was a “super senior” who recorded 21 tackles in four seasons at Indiana before spending two seasons with the Huskies.
Other QBs seem to have more options, but Penix appears to be the most complete QB at the college level. If Dallas decides to move on from Prescott, Penix Jr. Be one of the few prospects who can plug and play.
The Cowboys have a small window to cut Dak Prescott.
If Dallas wants to move on from Prescott, a trade makes the most sense. But they only have a small window to trade or cut Prescott and don’t guarantee $34 million of his contract. As ESPN’s Dan Graziano explains, the big news is that Prescott’s bonus list will be finalized on March 17. Dallas will have three to four days to make a decision, given that it can’t take any action on Prescott until the league year begins on March 13. As March 17 approaches, this will be a key indicator of the Cowboys’ plans for Prescott. The next QB trade is out of the question, but Dallas will likely lose money and have fewer suitors.
