Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb.
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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb.
If you wondered why the Dallas Cowboys didn’t seem completely panicked headed into the offseason some $66 million over the salary cap, we are starting to kind of get an understanding why they played it so cool.
Not only did they anticipate the leap the NFL’s salary cap would make — up some $22 million from 2025 to $301.2 million in 2026 — they also knew there were some more breaks coming down the road.
Those breaks might end up changing the entire season for the Cowboys, who missed the playoffs for a 2nd consecutive season in 2025 after going 7-9-1 and having arguably the NFL’s worst defense.
“The Cowboys will restructure the contracts of QB Dak Prescott, WR CeeDee Lamb and G Tyler Smith, which will create $66 million of room,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Saturday. “Jerry Jones said the Cowboys will rework the contracts of DTs Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams and Osa Odighizuwa, who are scheduled to count around $63 million against the cap.”
If you’re doing the math at home, that could deliver some $85 million cap space for the Cowboys this offseason — more than enough money to be a major player in free agency or any trades the Cowboys might try and pull off.
It all came on the heels of an emotional Jones talking with the media from the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and seemingly brought to tears by his team’s recent failures.
“(Jones) teared up talking about his desire to get another Super Bowl,” The Fort Worth Star Telegram’s Nick Harris wrote on his official X account “Called it his biggest desire aside from health of family & friends. ‘Nothing has as big a prize to me.’ ”
Jones’ Well-Documented Salary Cap Struggles
Jones, 83 years old, bought the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989 and the franchise is now worth an estimated $10 billion — he’s also served as the general manager and essentially sole decision maker in that time.
Which makes it even more curious that he’s had such trouble learning the intricacies of the salary cap.
Before last season, ESPN called the NFL’s salary cap and Jones’ inability to sign the Cowboys’ best players in timely fashion as his “Kryptonite” as the Cowboys were engaged in prolonged, messy contract negotiations with NFL All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons — a dispute which eventually led to the Cowboys trading Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark and 2 1st round picks.
“The salary cap has been Kryptonite for Jerry Jones for a long, long time,” ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said. “From a financial standpoint, his philosophy (on contract negotiations) doesn’t work. From a football standpoint, inarguably, it doesn’t work.”
The franchise hasn’t made it to the NFC Championship Game since the 1995 season, when they won their third Super Bowl in 4 seasons. It’s the longest NFC Championship Game drought for any team in the NFC.
Cowboys Have 2 1st Round Picks in 2026 NFL Draft
With their presumed salary cap space, the Cowboys are now in a position of power — even further embellished by the fact they have 2 1st round picks in the 2026 NFL draft, where they will pick at No. 12 and No. 20.