Insider Floats Idea of Raiders Adding $160 Million Cowboys Star

Getty Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott with CeeDee Lamb.

The Las Vegas Raiders don’t have a clear path to landing a franchise quarterback. Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew are stopgap options but neither provide long-term upside.

The team went 8-9 in 2023 and could be better in 2024 with some roster improvements. If the Raiders improve upon their record, they likely will be picking outside of the top 15. That would make it very difficult to land a top quarterback prospect.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is going to be on an expiring contract this season if he doesn’t sign an extension. He can test free agency next offseason if he’d like to. Vic Tafur of The Athletic floated the idea of the Raiders adding the star quarterback.

“As for the long-term answer at quarterback, waiting for the draft next year and hoping to throw a bunch of draft picks at a team for Shedeur Sanders sounds like another pipe dream along the lines of landing Jayden Daniels this year,” Tafur wrote in an April 30 column. “And who knows what the rest of that draft class will look like?

“No, if the Raiders want to make the next step and get out of purgatory, they might have to hope someone like Dak Prescott hits free agency or gets traded.”

Prescott would cost a massive amount of money but he’d certainly be an upgrade at quarterback.

Would Dak Prescott Be a Fit in Las Vegas?

Prescott would be the best quarterback the Raiders have had since Rich Gannon if they were able to sign him. The problem that Prescott is having in Dallas is that he’s led them to just two playoff wins but the team is in the playoffs more often than not.

The Raiders have been to the playoffs twice since 2002 so simply getting there would be an upgrade. Prescott with this current Las Vegas roster likely gets them to the playoffs if he can stay healthy. The Raiders’ defense was greatly improved under Antonio Pierce last season and should continue to make strides now that he’s the full-time head coach.

The offense is loaded with intriguing talent. Wide receivers Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers are proven commodities while tight ends Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers both have star potential. Perhaps a change of scenery is what Prescott needs to get over the playoff hump and the Raiders would have to be intriguing to him if Dallas isn’t an option.

How Much Is Dak Prescott Going to Cost?

If Prescott hits the open market, there will be no shortage of teams interested in him. He could be looking at a historically big free agent contract if he were a free agent. According to a recent report from Bleacher Report’s Jordan Schultz, Prescott could be looking to get $60 million a year, which would be more than any player ever.

That is a massive price tag to pay for a quarterback who has two playoff wins. That might be worth it for a team like the Raiders that could get desperate but it’ll be hard to pay every position. Is Prescott at $60 million a year enough of an upgrade over Minshew at $12.5 million a year? That will be an important question for any team interested in Prescott to answer.