In the world of American football, the chatter around quarterback contracts seems to be never-ending. The recent start of training camp has only added fuel to the fire, with everyone eager to hear from the likes of Jerry and Stephen Jones. The dynamic duo at the helm of the Dallas Cowboys have been fielding questions left and right about the ongoing contract negotiations, offering the same vague responses they’ve been giving all offseason, just with a bit more verbosity.
But not everyone is buying into the Cowboys’ cautious approach. Jason Fitzgerald, from the reputable site Over the Cap, has highlighted a key reason why the Cowboys find themselves in a unique position compared to other NFL teams when it comes to roster management.
In the days following these discussions, two other teams have made headlines by shelling out big bucks to their quarterbacks. The Green Bay Packers locked in Jordan Love with a whopping $55 million average annual salary, while the Miami Dolphins secured Tua Tagovailoa with a hefty $53.1 million per year deal. Both teams also have three other players earning over $20 million annually.
Looking beyond the Cowboys, Fitzgerald points out that the Arizona Cardinals and Cincinnati Bengals are also players in the high-stakes quarterback contract game. The Cardinals, despite undergoing a rebuilding phase under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and GM Monti Ossenfort, are rumored to be exploring trade options for Kyler Murray. As for the Bengals, they are gearing up to pay star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, with a potential salary exceeding $20 million per year.
The notion that a team cannot afford to pay their quarterback a top-dollar salary and still put together a competitive team is widely debated. The Dolphins and Packers, for example, may not have gone deep into the playoffs last season, but they had successful campaigns and even defeated the Cowboys along the way. Other teams at the forefront of quarterback salaries, such as the Chiefs, Bengals, Eagles, Ravens, and Lions, have managed to achieve more postseason success than the Cowboys.
Sheil Kapadia of The Ringer sheds light on the inconsistencies of the Cowboys’ approach to contract negotiations. Despite being the most valuable sports franchise in the world, the Cowboys rank at the bottom in active cash spending. This is partly due to their delay in securing player extensions, resulting in them paying more in the long run as the market continues to escalate.
In the high-stakes world of quarterback contracts, it’s clear that every decision made by a team can have far-reaching implications. As the saga continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the Cowboys and other teams will navigate the fine line between paying their star quarterback and maintaining a competitive roster.