Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has his own way of going about talking to media. That’s been the case since his early days in this role back in the late 1980s.
Some in Big D even openly wonder whether it’s possible to speak Jerry Jones’ unique language. We’ve seen this play out a whole heck of a lot during the 2024 NFL offseason. That included Jones indicating that the ‘Boys were “all in” during NFL free agency before being the least-active team in the league.
The backdrop here is real. Dallas is coming off a humiliating loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs. The team has to consider extending quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, among others.
Up to this point, nothing has come to fruition on this end. It’s especially significant when talking about Prescott’s contract situation. He’s slated to become a free agent after the 2024 season, leading to speculation that Dallas might actually target the quarterback’s heir-apparent in this week’s NFL Draft.
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Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones discusses Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb contract situations
Now that you know the backstory here, Jones’ comments to media two days before the draft are particularly interesting.
“We’d like to see more leaves fall. We’d like to see more action. It’s called option quarterback. I’ve spent my life (playing) option quarterback. I want to see some more cards played.”
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on contract talks
The good news? We do speak fluent Jerry Jones.
The longtime owner pretty much told reporters that Dallas is going to let the contract situations at quarterback and wide receiver play out around the NFL before making a final decision.
Right now, the wide receiver market has been a major talking point around the league. The likes of Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings), Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals) and Brandon Aiyuk (San Francisco 49ers) are in line for contract extensions.
Apparently, Jones does not want to dictate the ever-evolving wide receiver market. Rather, he’d like to react to it. Whether that’s a solid plan remains to be seen.
- CeeDee Lamb stats (2023): 135 receptions, 1,749 yards, 12 TD
As you can see, the 25-year-old Lamb is coming off a brilliant 2023 season. He’s in line to become one of the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in NFL history.
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The Prescott situation is different. Earlier in the offseason, incications were that Dallas was set to make him the highest-paid player in NFL history. Since then, things seem to be trending more in the direction of Prescott playing out the 2024 season and hitting free agency next March.
Prescott, 30, finished as the NFL MVP runner-up to fellow quarterback Lamar Jackson this past season. Dallas does not have the ability to place the franchise tag on him, leading to further speculation about his future with the Cowboys.