Cowboys Fail to Instill Confidence in Fans With Latest Remarks on Contract Negotiations

The 2024 offseason has been an endless run of frustration for Cowboys fans. Not only did Dallas lose key veterans like Johnathan Hankins, Tyron Smith, Stephon Gilmore, and Tyler Biadasz, but they also failed to replace them in an adequate way. Perhaps the most disappointing of it all, however, has been the lack of progress in contract extension negotiations with the stars.

Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his contract without an extension despite leading the league in touchdowns last season. CeeDee Lamb, who led the NFL in receptions on his way to an All-Pro selection, is beginning training camp as a holdout as he waits for the contract that would make him the highest-paid wide receiver in the league. Micah Parsons is similarly waiting for a lucrative, long-term extension but the Cowboys top brass have been playing hardball with all of these negotiations.

Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones revealed the status of these talks on the Scoop City podcast. His remarks didn't instill any confidence in Cowboys fans that the front office has any idea what it is doing.

"We're talking about deals here. Those things just take time when you're talking about the amount of money involved. And of course, we're trying to a little bit play Houdini in how to keep all these guys around Dak and keep these players we were fortunate enough to draft."

- Cowboys COO Stephen Jones

Likening re-signing your best players to magic is a bizarre analogy. NFL teams have long been figuring out ways to retain their superstars. The Cowboys aren't the first team to have multiple players eligible for extensions.

In fact, one doesn't have to look too far to find a successful example of this. The Philadelphia Eagles were on a similar boat to the Cowboys this offseason and managed to pen lucrative, long-term deals for A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jordan Mailata, and Landon Dickerson.

If you have Pro Bowl or All-Bro caliber players in key positions, you prioritize extending them and figure out the rest later. Being unnecessarily concerned about financial flexibility when it comes to star players is a big mistake and will potentially hurt the Cowboys next offseason.

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