Starting quarterback Dak Prescott has been with the Dallas Cowboys for a long time. We’re talking eight seasons of play, most of which have led to a playoff season that has been unsuccessful. And Jerry Jones is fed up.
The “easier” solution would be to not renew Prescott and call it a day. However, if it were simple, then it would be finished. What Jones is struggling with is much deeper. Should he keep Prescott, or should he let him go?
Why Jerry Jones is Hot and Cold on Keeping Dak Prescott
Prescott Isn’t Easily Replaceable
Most teams with good quarterbacks already have them signed and locked in. So there’s no one to poach from another team. There also aren’t any options in free agency right now either. Maybe something will become available later, but probably not. Lastly, the Cowboys won’t be as good as they were last season, but they won’t be bad either. So picking a top draft pick QB isn’t likely either.
In other words, there are limited options available. Sure, they have two backups in Cooper Rush and Trey Lance, but neither player has the “it” factor the Cowboys are looking for. Prescott is more likely to lead the Cowboys to the playoffs than they are. If you’re looking at that, then the choice seems obvious–Jerry Jones should keep Dak Prescott.
The Problems with Prescott
It would be a really easy choice if Prescott had won major playoff games, but he hasn’t. Over and over again, he’s failed to come up big when it matters the most. His greatest criticism as a quarterback is that he doesn’t show up in big games. When compared to players like Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, there’s a gap that isn’t easily closed.
So yes, you have a QB who can sell seats and jerseys due to regular season play, but you don’t have one that’s going to win a Super Bowl. That’s a problem for an organization that makes its money being “America’s Team”. How can you even call yourself America’s Team when you can’t win in America’s biggest game? When you can’t even make it to that game?
Jones Isn’t Only Waiting for Players to Step Up
Almost all of the Dallas Cowboys coaching staff have contracts ending this year, with no extensions in sight. It’s almost as if Jones is daring them to make him renew it. After all, the pressure can’t be all on Prescott. If he has been a let down, that’s because the coaching staff has allowed him to be for multiple years in a row.
If the Cowboys can’t live up to the high level of play Jones is expecting, then there isn’t much of a chance that they’ll get renewals, either. He may decide to throw out the whole program and try again from scratch.
The Dallas Cowboys are a Team of High Expectations
The Cowboys haven’t been to a Super Bowl in nearly 30 years. Last year’s team was the one that could’ve gotten them out of that slump, and they blew it against the rookie Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers. After losing players like Tyron Smith, Dorance Armstrong, and Tony Pollard, it isn’t looking as though they’re going to maintain that high level of play we’ve known for the last three seasons, in which they’ve managed an astoundingly consistent 12-5 record.
Even if they do, that doesn’t promise that the playoffs will end much differently–the last few runs ending with a loss from either the 49ers or the Packers. Jerry Jones could choose to let go of Dak Prescott and sign other stars like Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb, but then, he leaves the biggest question on the table:
Can the Dallas Cowboys win playoff games without a star quarterback on the team?
Main Image: Matthew Emmons – USA Today Sports
