Dallas Cowboys’ Plan for Season: Let’s leave our QB unprotected

Inflation is a real bummer unless you’re a franchise QB like Dallas’s Dak Prescott. Then it allows you to make $60 million a year, which is amazing when one considers that not long ago, Tom Brady inked a deal with The Patriots for only $10 million a year for six years and then signed a two-year deal with Tampa for $25 million a year. Brady’s last year with the Bucs, two years ago, he played for $15 million a year.

Poor man’s pay but somebody has to do it. No matter, if you’re Prescott, who is now being pummeled in the pocket, knocked down by opponents who resemble a steamroller, you have to wonder, did I just sign a deal with the devil?

In other words, the Cowboys’ owner, GM, and team architect, Jerry Jones, indeed signed Prescott to a contract extension that made him the highest paid player now in the NFL, but then he turned around and let two of the team’s best offensive linemen walk away as free agents — center Tyler Biadasz and tackle Tyron Smith.

How did that work out for Dallas? This season, Prescott is getting sacked more (ouch) than in any of the past six seasons. Now, thanks to a hamstring injury suffered during Sunday’s loss to Atlanta, he’s expected to miss multiple weeks.

According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapport, “…this is not looking like a short-term injury.”

It’s almost as if a “record contract” is a curse. This season, for example, Prescott has thrown 11 TDs and eight interceptions. His least efficient year after finishing second last year after the MVP votes were tallied.

At this point, it’s probably safe to start making comparisons between Prescott and the team’s former QB, Tony Romo.

Both amazing athletes, and yet, while serving as GM, Jerry Jones could never give Romo what he needed to win a championship. Namely, a head coach who could, well, coach a team to at least a conference playoff win.

Now, Dallas is looking at a season that’s already dropped to 3-5, with three losses in a row after Sunday’s game, while Cowboy fans fondly remember the Glory Days. If only they weren’t 30 years ago.

To make matters worse, as if that’s possible, the other big-ticket item going into this season, Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who is now making $34 million a year ($136 million for four years, which included a $38 million signing bonus) had to leave Sunday’s game with a sore shoulder. According to a Sports Illustrated story this week, though, the injury isn’t considered to be serious and he has a chance of playing against Da Boys’ 64-year division rival, the Eagles, this Sunday.

It should probably be noted that after signing this season’s contract, Lamb was so invigorated that he has found the endzone this season an amazing, wait for it, four times.

After eight games played so far?

Don’t forget that Lamb is also tied for fifth in the NFL with 53 receptions.

Jones’s plan to throw so much money at only two players – Prescott and Lamb – while remaining under the salary cap, means that even though CeeDee is now the most productive skill player on the team this season, Dallas is 3-5. (Source: WSJ.)

Two months ago after a loss at home against the Ravens, while walking back to the locker room when the team was still only 1-2, Prescott said to Dallas fans in general, “Jump off if you want,” which meant, according to most, that if you’re a longtime Cowboys fan and want to stop cheering for the team, that’s fine with Dak.

For the die-hard fans who now pay, on average, $404 for a ticket, not counting the price to buy a hot dog and a beer ($17.98) after paying up to $120 to park, this might be perceived as a slap in the face.

Especially after Prescott could be seen Sunday saying this to the team’s third-string QB, Trey Lance, while both sat on the sideline: “We (expletive) suck.”

Hey, Dak, you don’t have to tell your fans.

Can’t wait to see what the football GM genius, Jerry Jones, has in store for the 2025 season.

Meanwhile, Dallas fans may consider turning to Houston games this season. Sitting on top of the AFC South Division, the Texans are 6-3.

Best thing about the team? Jerry Jones isn’t the owner.