Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott looking on.Dak Prescott (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been widely mentioned as a potential trade candidate in recent weeks.

Last month, it was reported that the Cowboys will not give Dak Prescott an extension ahead of the 2024 season. The soon-to-be 32-year-old has one year remaining on his deal, and then he may be eligible to hit free agency for the first time in his career next spring.

Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report analyzed five quarterbacks for Dallas to look at as potential replacements for Prescott. Moton listed Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., Tulane’s Michael Pratt, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler and Florida State’s Jordan Travis.

Nix and Penix Jr. are widely projected to be mid-to-late first-round picks or early second-round selections. However, a quarterback-needy team could target either prospect earlier than expected.

Jerry Jones used a fourth-round pick (135th overall) on Dak Prescott back in 2016. Prescott became the starting QB following a preseason injury to Tony Romo, and No. 4 would never lose the starting job again.

So, if the Cowboys are unsure about keeping Prescott long-term, targeting a quarterback in the early or mid-rounds makes sense. For what it’s worth, the Cowboys’ first three draft picks are the Nos. 24, 56, and 87 selections.

Dak Prescott Is Coming Off A Career Year

Prescott had the best season of his eight-year career in 2023, completing 410 passes (tying a personal best) and 69.5 percent of his pass attempts (a career-high) for 4,516 yards and 36 touchdowns against only nine interceptions.

Of course, the Cowboys’ successful regular season performance did not carry over to the postseason. Dallas was crushed by Jordan Love and the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers 48-32 in the Wild Card Round.

Dallas hasn’t reached the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, the last year they won the Super Bowl. If the Cowboys endure another early postseason elimination, Jones may decide to make sweeping changes. And perhaps that’ll include a switch at QB.