A fresh bit of Cowboys quarterback chatter surfaced Monday, and it centered on Dak Prescott’s future in Dallas.
Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms said on the “Chris Simms Unbuttoned” podcast that he’s hearing the Cowboys may be nearing their limit with Prescott after the team’s ugly Week 8 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Simms suggested the buzz around the league is that Prescott could be out of the picture by 2027 if the Cowboys don’t get things turned around soon.
“There’s been some murmurs that, in Dallas, that they’re a little bit like at the end of their rope with Dak Prescott," Simms said. "Like, it’s like things better turn around or he ain’t gonna be the quarterback there next year.
We'lll see. We'll see.”
That’s the headline, but the contract reality makes the whole idea hard to buy.
Prescott’s deal gives Dallas almost no easy escape hatch. Even a post-June 1 cut or trade would leave the Cowboys staring at massive dead-cap charges.
According to Over the Cap, Dallas would be hit with $131 million or $76 million in 2027 if it cut Prescott before or after June 1. A trade would still bring dead-money figures of $86 million and $31 million, depending on timing.
And that’s only the start of it. Because of the void years attached to the contract, Dallas would still be carrying dead-cap hits through 2030.
That kind of financial mess makes a clean split look extremely unlikely unless the Cowboys decide to tear the whole thing down and rebuild. That doesn’t sound like a realistic path, especially with Jerry Jones involved. Even if Dallas wanted to move on, finding a trade partner for Prescott’s contract would be another major hurdle, and the Cowboys would almost certainly have to absorb a huge portion of the money anyway.
If the team is looking for a way out, extending Prescott or restructuring the deal would be far more plausible. That would also push the problem further down the road, especially with Prescott lined up for a massive $76 million cap hit in 2027.
Then there’s the issue of what comes next. Replacing a quarterback of Prescott’s caliber would not be cheap. A veteran signing would add another layer of financial strain, while drafting one comes with no sure thing attached.
There’s also reason to question whether Dallas truly places the blame on Prescott to the degree Simms’ report implies. Prescott has not lived up to expectations over the course of his career, and he has only two playoff wins. But the Cowboys’ problems haven’t all landed on him.
Over the last two seasons, Dallas has had the worst defense in the NFL, which has made life even harder for Prescott and the offense. Since 2024, that side of the ball has been the only real source of hope for the franchise.
The Cowboys also missed badly with their hires of head coach Brian Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Christian Parker, which only added to the mess.
So while the rumor mill is spinning, the contract alone makes a breakup in 2027 look highly unlikely.
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