Proposed Trade Sees Cowboys Acquire $40 Million QB to Replace Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys may soon need to consider Dak Prescott’s possible successor.

Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reports that Prescott will enter the final year of his current contract during the 2024 campaign, with no “imminent” talks or contract offer in place. It’s possible that both parties may eventually work out a new deal, but it’s also extremely likely that Prescott is starting his final season in Dallas.

In light of this, FanSided’s Christopher Kline offers a hypothetical trade in which Dallas would target Derek Carr of the New Orleans Saints.

This might be the Cowboys’ best opportunity to get a proven starter if Prescott leaves, according to Kline. “Derek Carr’s resume lists four trips to the Pro Bowl. He is a prolific gunner who can create explosive moves and is not scared to make risky passes. However, Carr’s first season with the New Orleans Saints was a bit of a bust. Although Carr wasn’t always at fault, the quarterback will always come under fire when a quality team doesn’t make the playoffs.

Reasons the Saints Might Think About Dealing Derek Carr

The Saints acquired Carr in the offseason after the Las Vegas Raiders released him. According to Kline, the Saints should consider pressing the “reset” button because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons seem to be the favorites in the NFC South.

Shortly after the season, Kline reports, “Klint Kubiak was named as the Saints’ new offensive coordinator.” It is likely that he will introduce a variant of Kyle Shanahan’s offensive scheme to New Orleans, which is ideal for Carr. In the event that the Saints fail to advance in the fiercely competitive NFC South, the front management might be inclined to force a reset.

One of the NFL’s more reliable starters over the last ten years is Carr, a competent quarterback. In eight of his ten seasons as a starter, he has completed at least twenty-one touchdown passes, and he has never started fewer than fifteen games in a season.

But he has a dismal 72-87 career record overall, and in his tenure, he has only guided two teams to the postseason. He has also never won a playoff game, to cap it all.

It’s important to remember that Carr quickly after signed a four-year, $150 million contract with the Saints. The 2025 and 2026 seasons will cost $40 million and $50 million, respectively, to record him.

Carr is the sixth-highest paid quarterback for the 2025 season and the fourth-highest paid quarterback for the 2026 season, to put that into context.Prescott’s estimated market worth over the course of four seasons is $50.8 million, or more than $203 million.

What the Cowboys Would Give Up in a Possible Trade for Derek Carr

There will probably be a few teams keen to sign Prescott if the Cowboys decide to take the chance of letting him hit free agency without securing a contract extension before the end of the current campaign. He has a 2-5 record in the postseason despite his lack of playoff success. However, he is a three-time Pro Bowler who just finished a stellar season in which he led the league in touchdown passes and was second in MVP voting.

Similar-caliber athlete Kirk Cousins, who has not had much success in the postseason, recently inked a four-year, $180 million ($45 million per year) contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Cousins is 35 years old and had just recovered from an Achilles tear during the previous season.

It’s important to remember that, out of every transaction involving quarterbacks made in the 2024 offseason, not a single one resulted in a pick higher than the third round. Of the two trades involving third-round picks, the other involved the forfeiture of a fourth-round pick.

Carr will turn 34 years old the following season, and the Cowboys are unlikely to give up more than a third-round choice in exchange for him given his salary and lack of postseason success.

Carr might be the Cowboys’ best option if they lose Prescott, even though fans aren’t very thrilled about the prospect.

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