The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have invested some money into keeping together a team that was somewhat unexpectedly successful last season. They finished with a 9-8 record, which got them the NFC South title with a whisker, and in the wild-card round of the playoffs, they ripped the beaks off the Philadelphia Eagles in a 32-9 rout.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield had a marvelous season after a star-crossed first five years in the NFL, and he was rewarded with a three-year contract extension that could be worth up to $100 million. They also signed wide receiver Mike Evans to a two-year, $52 million extension.
On Aug. 1, Tampa Bay gave star offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs a five-year, $140.63 extension, which set a record for the richest contract ever given to an NFL offensive lineman. It led Craig Carton to question why the Dallas Cowboys, a franchise that is much more valuable than the Buccaneers, allegedly cannot afford to spend enough money to keep its stars.
For the Cowboys, pass rusher Micah Parsons, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and quarterback Dak Prescott are all up for contract extensions. While Parsons has two years left on his current deal, Lamb and Prescott will become free agents in the spring of 2025 if they do not agree to extensions beforehand.
Reportedly, Lamb will meet with the Cowboys this weekend to talk about a potential extension. He has been holding out of training camp while he awaits an offer he would deem satisfactory.
Prescott, however, seems to be a different story. There has been a growing feeling that the Cowboys don’t feel a tremendous sense of urgency to get him signed to an extension and that he’s on his way to free agency and perhaps leaving Dallas.
Days ago, the Cowboys reportedly became the first sports franchise to be valued at $10 billion. One would wonder why they haven’t gotten any of their three stars to agree to an extension yet, or even if they want to keep Prescott in the first place.
Prescott, 31, had an excellent 2023 season in which he led the league in completed passes and passing touchdowns. But he continues to have a habit of underperforming in big games, especially come playoff time. In last season’s wild-card round loss to the Green Bay Packers, he threw three early interceptions that helped dig a 27-0 hole for Dallas before halftime.
The way things are going, 2024 could be the swan song for Dallas as presently constituted.
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