The market has yet to provide otherwise. As far as the quarterback position is concerned, the price only goes up. Reality proved this yet again this past week when the Detroit Lions paid Jared Goff. Ultimately Goff’s deal was of the four-year variety for $212M with $170M guaranteed.
Detroit paying Goff was not exactly unexpected in terms of potential offseason moves across the NFL, but it was a teeny bit of a surprise. Things seemed somewhat stable at the quarterback position with no real obvious threat to receive the next MEGA deal, but Goff came close enough and as a result there will be financial ramifications if the Dallas Cowboys ultimately want to get their own deal done with Dak Prescott.
There are two other situations lurking out there and it appears that one of them could have some action. At least one of the parties involved wants action to happen.
Tua Tagovailoa getting paid could be the next deal to raise the price for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys
At present time the only two quarterbacks who could significantly alter the negotiations between Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys both playing in the state of Florida. We are talking about Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins and Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Whether or not Lawrence comes to terms with the Jags remains to be seen, but he was their number one overall pick in 2021 which means he is eligible for a deal for the first time in his career. It would be wise of Jacksonville to get it done this offseason if they remain committed to Lawrence for the future.
Miami is a year behind, or ahead depending on how you look at it, of the Jaguars. Tagovailoa was a first-round pick of theirs in 2020 and is currently set to enter the final year of his rookie contract.
We are still not at a point where players missing work is a big deal (which is why there isn’t serious panic over CeeDee Lamb, although Dallas would also be wise to get that done immediately), and these are words that Dolphins fans could be muttering to themselves. Miami will be back at work on Monday and it is unknown whether or not Tagovailoa will be there. An absence would obviously be a move with regards to negotiations.
Tagovailoa has been absent for the majority of voluntary offseason work since the Dolphins reported back April 15, sources close to the situation told CBS Sports. That is in stark contrast to his first four seasons in the league, when Tagovailoa was present for most of the voluntary work.
Sources believe his absence is related to his contract status. Tagovailoa, the fifth overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, is currently set to play the 2024 season on his fifth-year option, worth $23.171 million. The Alabama alumnus has hoped for a long-term contract extension with the Dolphins, but one has not materialized to date.
The going rate for today’s NFL franchise quarterbacks is around the $50 million per year mark. Tagovailoa is scheduled to make less than half that in 2024 with no security beyond this season.
How you or I feel about Tagovailoa is ultimately meaningless as this comes down to what Miami thinks of him. If the Dolphins feel that he is a franchise quarterback then they will have to pay him franchise quarterback money. It will be what just happened with Detroit and Jared Goff all over again as every quarterback deal is, and the price paid will serve as the latest boost to whatever number Dak Prescott’s representatives could be presenting the Cowboys.
By this point nobody is changing their mind on how they feel about Dak and we are not here to argue about those things. But if you are against him do you not believe that if the Cowboys are ultimately going to pay him that doing so for the best deal possible is the best overall move for the team and organization?
This is an important question and the reason why this topic just will not go away. If the Cowboys are ultimately going to get this done then they are letting other people raise the price for them which will impact their future from a financial perspective.
The price always goes up. Always. The sooner the Cowboys realize this, the better.
