The Dallas Cowboys are starting to feel the weight of Dak Prescott's four-year, $240 million extension signed in late 2024, and the salary cap pressure is only going to grow.

According to Mark Heaney of Inside The Star, the way the deal is structured could push the Cowboys into some tough decisions down the line.

“After the Cowboys restructured Prescott’s deal, his number is set to jump to over $75M in 2027 and over $85M in 2028,” Heaney reported. “That is an absurd amount of money for one player to count against the cap... and you can bet Dallas will find a way to avoid that hit. The only real way to do that is a contract extension.” 

Restructuring Prescott's deal is less about keeping him around and more about creating room to build a competitive roster.

"A new deal would be about pushing money around, lowering those short-term cap hits, and giving the front office more room to actually build around him, not just be about keeping Prescott in Dallas for longer," wrote Mark Heaney of Inside The Star.

Not everyone sees it that way, though.

"Some fans will argue Prescott’s presence sets the team back, but eating those cap hits to avoid an extension indisputably hurts the team far more," Heaney added.

Dak Prescott has recorded more than 36,000 passing yards and 243 touchdowns with a 66.9% completion rate in his career. 

Even in recent seasons, he has continued to deliver strong performances, including 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2023 and 4,552 yards with 30 touchdowns in 2025, showing he still produces at a high level when healthy.

While questions about Prescott's long-term future continue off the field, the quarterback remains focused on getting the Cowboys back into playoff contention.

Dak Prescott on playoff misses as Cowboys aim to bounce back

Dak Prescott spoke during an official Dallas Cowboys media session on 18 June 2026 about missing the playoffs in 2024 and 2025, as reported on the Dallas Cowboys official website by Tommy Yarrish. 

“It s****,” Prescott said, reflecting on missing the playoffs in 2024 and 2025. “But we’re pushing. That’s our goal, that’s a minimum. We’ve got a strong team and we have to keep improving on offense while building on what we’re doing on defense.”

With an improved defense and an already strong offense, the Cowboys believe they have the right mix to compete at a higher level.

The focus now is on turning that confidence into results on the field and finally pushing past recent playoff struggles. 

As the Cowboys look to return to the playoffs, Prescott's performance over the coming seasons could also shape how the franchise approaches the massive cap hits waiting later in his contract.

Do you think the Cowboys can finally turn these changes into a strong season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Divyanshi Raj

Edited by

Rudra Dubey