The Dallas Cowboys are a franchise in a 30-year drought, unable to sniff the NFC Championship Game since their last trip in 1995. Last season, under head coach Mike McCarthy in his final year, things unraveled quickly. In Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, Dak Prescott went down with a hamstring injury, derailing the team’s hopes. Without their starting quarterback, the Cowboys stumbled to a 7-10 record and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after three straight appearances. Any team would feel the sting of losing its QB1, but Dallas’ lack of depth made it brutal. The offseason didn’t inspire much confidence either – aside from promoting Brian Schottenheimer as the new coach, Jerry Jones kept the checkbook closed in free agency.
In the draft, they’d be wise to add a wide receiver to complement CeeDee Lamb, who’s basically the only reliable target Prescott has. The NFC East doesn’t make it easy: The Super Bowl champion Eagles bring back nearly the same team, the Commanders have loaded up to support their Rookie of the Year, and the Giants could grab Travis Hunter with the third pick to pair with Malik Nabers and Russell Wilson. Prescott’s 32-8 (80%) record against the division is impressive, but with the Cowboys looking like the weakest team in the East, Jones’ inaction isn’t helping.
Dak Prescott’s Recovery: Leaner and Hungry
Dak Prescott is back in the spotlight, and he’s looking slimmer and fired up. After inking a four-year, $240 million deal, last season was supposed to be his big moment, but the Week 9 hamstring injury limited him to just three wins before shutting him down. Now, more than five months after the setback, he’s feeling optimistic. “I’m doing great. The last couple of weeks have been a big step forward,” he said, with training camp still four months away.
Prescott’s regular-season resume – 76-46 in nine years with five playoff trips – speaks for itself. But that 2-5 postseason record? That’s the thorn in his side. For all his September-to-December brilliance, he knows he has to shine in the playoffs or that shiny contract won’t mean much. Dallas is counting on its $60 million quarterback to start 2025 with a vengeance.
Micah Parsons’ Payday and the Draft Puzzle
Micah Parsons is the Cowboys’ defensive cornerstone, and his contract talks are heating up. Back in December, he brushed off the idea of needing $40 million a year, saying he just wanted good teammates. Then Myles Garrett landed that exact figure, and Parsons, who is arguably in the same elite class, may have reconsidered. He’s been a force since arriving in 2021: Defensive Rookie of the Year, and one of only four players ever to record 10+ sacks in each of his first four seasons. At 26, he has his best years ahead of him, and he’s reportedly eyeing a $200 million extension to become the NFL’s highest-paid non-quarterback.
Dallas has him locked up through 2025 with a $24 million option, but with no serious negotiations yet, a training camp holdout isn’t off the table – it would only cost him $100,000 in fines, chump change for a guy of his caliber.
On the draft front, the Cowboys were linked to Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty at #12, but after signing Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams, that’s looking doubtful. I’d argue they should target a receiver instead-Prescott can’t keep throwing to Lamb and a prayer every Sunday. Another lackluster year is not an option.
The Cowboys are at a crossroads. Prescott’s health is the spark they need, but Parsons’ looming payday and a thin roster could quickly extinguish it. With the NFC East stacked and 30 years of playoff ghosts hanging over them, Dallas needs to get this right – starting now.
Read the full article here
