Assessing the Dallas Cowboys' Tumultuous 2024 Season
In 2024, the Dallas Cowboys find themselves in a predicament that team owner Jerry Jones aptly describes as "up in the air." Despite the franchise's recent successes in amassing at least 12 wins and securing postseason berths for three consecutive seasons, they have yet to break through to the conference championship round—a hurdle that continues to elude them.
What compounds the challenge for the Cowboys is a multitude of financial concerns, starting with Dak Prescott's massive $55.1 million cap hit in 2024, ranking as the second highest in the league. Prescott's cap figure has cast a long shadow over the team's financial flexibility, thereby restricting moves that could address other roster needs.
Further complicating matters is the contract situation surrounding star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Carrying a $17.991 million fifth-year option, Lamb has shown his dissatisfaction by opting out of both the spring offseason program and training camp. Stephen Jones, the Cowboys' Executive Vice President, revealed that Lamb aims to become the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL, seeking to eclipse Justin Jefferson’s $35 million per year benchmark.
Adding fuel to the fire, head coach Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff enter 2024 in the final year of their contracts, adding a layer of uncertainty to an already precarious situation. The Dallas front office, led by Jerry Jones, has yet to take actionable steps regarding major players' contracts, all of which are set to expire by 2025. This wait-and-see approach Jones described as, "We’re option-quarterbacking, and we’re going out toward the sideline, and we haven’t handed it off or pitched it."
The stakes are exceptionally high for both Prescott and Lamb, as each enters the final year of their respective deals. The past provides a cautious tale—Zach Martin held out briefly in training camp last year but eventually returned once his contract issues were resolved, and Ezekiel Elliott was re-signed to a six-year, $90 million extension before being released in the 2023 offseason. Such events serve as a reminder that the Cowboys’ decisions often carry significant repercussions.
Despite these internal tensions, the Cowboys continue to enjoy an unwavering loyalty from their fan base. Stephen Jones noted the highest rate of season-ticket renewals he has ever seen, reflecting a dedicated and hopeful community that remains supportive despite the team’s playoff struggles. Notably, the franchise holds a dubious 13-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances without reaching the conference championship.
Behind the scenes, the Cowboys remain uniquely structured as the only NFL team where the owner’s family runs the day-to-day football operations. Jerry Jones keeps a close circle and notes, "I listen to the people around me. Otherwise I wouldn’t be sitting here." This close-knit operation style has been a defining feature since Jones succeeded Tex Schramm, making him one of only two general managers in the team’s storied history.
Jerry Jones acknowledges the complexities and risks involved in running the organization, saying, "I know that I have had a lot of mistakes in these years...but the same imagination, the same risk-taking, the same taking risks but being pragmatic, that's how we got here. I don't know for sure if it's going to work. But I am giving it everything I've got." Such an admission underscores the delicate balancing act required to maintain competitiveness while navigating the choppy waters of financial constraints and high-stakes contract negotiations.
As the Cowboys navigate this tumultuous season, questions loom large: Can they finally break their streak and reach the conference championship? Will they manage to retain their star players while balancing their books? Only time will tell if Jerry Jones’ calculated risk-taking will yield the long-sought-after success or perpetuate the cycle of unmet expectations.