AFC West Contract Details: Thornton, Koonce, Tomlinson, Booker
Here are the latest details from contracts recently reached in the AFC West:
- Tyquan Thornton, WR (Chiefs): Two years, $11MM. According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2, Thornton’s new deal has $7.4MM in guaranteed money at signing, including a $4MM signing bonus. The remaining guaranteed money comes from his 2026 salary ($1.4MM) and $2MM of his 2027 salary ($5.4MM).
- Malcolm Koonce, DE (Raiders): One year, $11.01MM. Per Wilson, Koonce’s re-upped agreement is worth slightly more than the originally reported figure of $11MM. The one-year deal has $10.5MM guaranteed at signing, made up of a $5.25MM signing bonus and a single-year base salary for the same $5.25MM amount. Koonce will have the chance to earn an additional $510K by making the most of a $30K per game active roster bonus.
- Dalvin Tomlinson, DT (Chargers): One year, $6.2MM. Disputing an originally reported amount of $7.5MM with $6MM guaranteed, Wilson reports the above-stated base value with $5.69MM fully guaranteed at signing, comprised of a $3MM signing bonus and Tomlinson’s 2026 base salary ($2.69MM). Like Koonce, Tomlinson can earn an additional $510K with his $30K per game active roster bonus.
- Thomas Booker, DE (Raiders): One year, $3.67MM. According to Wilson, Booker signed his free agent tender at the above-stated value.
- Spencer Burford, G (Raiders): One year, $3.26MM. Per Wilson, Burford’s deal includes $2.75MM in guaranteed money at signing, consisting of a $1.5MM signing bonus and his 2026 base salary ($1.25MM). Burford will also enjoy the same per game active roster bonus potential as Koonce and Tomlinson for as much as $510K.
- Denzel Perryman, LB (Chargers): One year, $2.79MM. Per Wilson, Perryman’s contract only contains $500K in guaranteed money at signing, consisting of a $200K signing bonus and $300K of base salary ($1.3MM). The bulk of Perryman’s contract value comes in an inflated per game active roster bonus. Unlike the others, Perryman’s bonus is $70K per game with a potential maximum value of $1.19MM.
- Trey Lance, QB (Chargers): One year, $2.5MM. While the maximum value of $6.75MM was known, the above-stated base value was previously unreported. Per Wilson, the deal for Lance includes $2MM fully guaranteed at signing made up of an $800K signing bonus and $1.2MM of his base salary ($1.7MM). That means $4MM will be available in incentives for Lance in 2026.
- Josh Harris, LS (Chargers): One year, $1.82MM. According to Wilson, the long snapper’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing with a $187.5K signing bonus and base salary of $1.63MM.
- Kader Kohou, CB (Chiefs): One year, $1.81MM. Wilson reports that Kohou’s deal is also fully guaranteed with a signing bonus of $665K and base salary of $1.15MM.
- Matt Gay, K (Raiders): One year, $1.6MM. Per Wilson, the Raiders’ new kicker can earn up to $2.25MM on this contract that only has $1.35MM of guaranteed money at signing, $200K from his signing bonus and $1.15MM of his base salary ($1.4MM). $650K will be available to Gay through an incentive based on his field goal percentage.
- Mike Caliendo, G (Chiefs): One year, $1.35MM. Per Wilson, Caliendo’s new deal includes $650K fully guaranteed at signing, consisting of a signing bonus of $150K and $500K of his base salary ($1.15MM). Caliendo can also earn up to $50K with a per game active roster bonus of $2.94K.
- Emari Demercado, RB (Chiefs): One year, $1.25MM. According to Wilson, Demercado’s contract includes $550K of full guarantees at signing made up of a $50K signing bonus and $500K of his base salary ($1.15MM). He’ll have the same per game active roster bonus as Caliendo, giving him the potential to add on another $50K in 2026.
Chargers To Re-Sign QB Trey Lance
The Chargers are re-signing backup QB Trey Lance, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. It’s a one-year deal worth up to $6.75MM.
Lance signed a similar contract last spring, when the Chargers added him on an agreement worth up to $6.2MM. The former 49er and Cowboy went on to appear in four games with the playoff-bound Bolts last season. His lone start came in a low-stakes Week 18 game against the Broncos. With Justin Herbert getting a breather, Lance completed 20 of 44 passes for 136 yards and an interception in a 19-3 loss. While his passing numbers were unimpressive, Lance rushed for 69 yards on nine attempts.
Lance connected on just 27 of 57 throws for 226 yards and an INT in 2025, continuing a disappointing career for the former third overall pick. The 49ers took a massive gamble on the North Dakota State product in the 2021 draft. A month after trading the No. 12 pick, a third-rounder, and first-rounders in 2022 and ’23 to the Dolphins for No. 3, they grabbed Lance. He ended up among a handful of underwhelming 2021 first-round QBs beyond No. 1 choice Trevor Lawrence. Lance, Zach Wilson (No. 2), Justin Fields (No. 11) and Mac Jones (No. 15) have all fallen short of expectations. Lawrence is the only member of the group who is still with the team that selected him.
Lance started just four games in San Francisco, which somewhat made up for the gaffe in drafting him when it used the last pick in 2022 on Brock Purdy. After Purdy emerged as the 49ers’ answer late in his rookie year, they shipped Lance to the Cowboys for a 2024 fourth-rounder. He started one game in Dallas (in 2024) before leaving for the Chargers. Lance, Herbert and DJ Uiagalelei are the only QBs in the organization as of now.
Over 16 NFL appearances and six starts, Lance has completed 54% of passes, averaged 6.4 yards per attempt, and tossed five TDs and INTs apiece. He owns a 71.9 passer rating.
Chargers To Sit Justin Herbert In Week 18, Trey Lance To Start
Justin Herbert‘s regular season has come to an end. Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters today that his starting QB will not play in Week 18. Trey Lance will earn the start, with practice squad QB DJ Uiagalelei garnering an elevation to serve as the QB2.
The Chargers’ loss to the Texans on Saturday officially knocked them out of contention for the AFC West title and home-field advantage, meaning the team will solely be playing for playoff positioning in Week 18. With Herbert still nursing a hand injury that he’s been playing through for more than a month, Harbaugh decided to pull the trigger and bench his QB1 for the season finale. In fact, the coach indicated that a handful of starters may be kept out of Sunday’s matchup vs. the Broncos.
“Winning and health, being healthy, those are our two objectives,” Harbaugh said (via ESPN’s Kris Rhim). “And guys that we think — the doctors, the trainers, myself, organization — that have the most bruises and need that time the most, we’ve decided that’s the direction we’re going.”
Harbaugh also made it clear that his decision has nothing to do with manipulating the standings to secure a preferred first-round playoff matchup.
“Health and winning. That’s it,” the coach said. “There’s no way to predict. We’re going on the road, first round. All potential teams would be good, and we’ll get ourselves ready for that.”
Herbert’s 2025 season will end with 3,727 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He also compiled a career-high 498 rushing yards. For his efforts, Herbert earned his second career Pro Bowl nod.
Lance will now get an opportunity to show what he’s got. The former third-overall pick last started a game for the Cowboys in 2024, when he completed 20 of 34 pass attempts for 244 yards. Lance inked a one-year deal with the Chargers this past offseason to serve as Herbert’s primary backup. He’s seen time in three games, completing seven of his 13 pass attempts for 90 yards.
If the Texans defeat the free-falling Colts in the early window next Sunday, the Chargers will be playing for either the sixth seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Jaguars) or the seventh seed (in which case they’d likely match up with the Patriots). Either way, the organization clearly believes that an extra week of rest for Herbert will only increase their chances of pulling off a first-round upset.
Chargers ‘Optimistic’ For Justin Herbert’s Week 14 Availability
As reported earlier this week, Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert underwent surgery to address a broken bone in his left (non-throwing) hand. Per Nick Shook of NFL.com, while the 27-year-old passer is still considered day-to-day at the moment, the team — specifically head coach Jim Harbaugh — is “optimistic” that Herbert will be the one under center to start the game on Monday night. 
According to Omar Ruiz of NFL Network, Herbert described the surgery, telling reporters that a plate and a few screws were put into his hand during the procedure. The current plan is just to prepare as if he’s starting against the Eagles this week, though an eye will be kept on his hand to determine if the swelling from the surgery has subsided enough for him to play. In Week 13, he wore a glove on his left hand made to stabilize the injury, and a similar technique could be utilized again in order to stabilize his healing hand.
While Harbaugh is optimistic, and Herbert is preparing like he’s starting, Harbaugh is not depending solely on Herbert. According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, backup quarterback Trey Lance is expected to get some run with the first-team offense this week, in case the team feels Herbert’s hand won’t allow him to “function in enough basic ways or protect himself if he falls.” Lance, a former No. 3 overall pick, started four games in his first two years in San Francisco but has only logged one start in the past three seasons combined. If Herbert’s hand hinders him in the ways quoted above, though, Lance would be tapped as the starter.
Lance took all of the first-team reps in today’s practice, with Herbert not practicing in the traditional sense and, instead, just being present on the field through the first sessions of practice. Even if Herbert’s hand is doing well enough for him to start, Lance’s work with the first team could still be handy for certain situations.
Herbert’s hand may prevent him from being literally under center since it could be difficult for him to receive snaps between the center’s legs with his hand injury. Herbert can try to stay in shotgun formations as much as possible, but in short yardage or goal line situations, the team may rely on Lance, whose hand would be less at risk of injury in a scrum.
The news on the matter is still not definitive, but at least we now know what to keep an eye on in the days to come. As long as Herbert and Co. can get the swelling down over the next five days, he should return as the starter. In the meantime, Lance will continue preparing for roles both big and small.
Updated Slate Of NFL Players On CFL Negotiation List Revealed
The Canadian Football League has long used a negotiation list for its teams to acquire the rights to active NFL players. That remains the case in 2025, and after a few updates were revealed earlier the full list is now available.
A recent piece from TSN’s Marshall Ferguson breaks down nine of the most notable names who have been added to the list recently. These players are not assured of heading north of the border at any point in their careers, of course. The list merely dictates which CFL teams own their negotiating rights in the event they do attempt to play in the league. 
Shedeur Sanders is among the members of the 2025 (NFL) draft class who have been added recently. His CFL rights belong to the Toronto Argonauts. Any time spent north of the border would certainly come as a surprise, as the fifth-round rookie is positioned to occupy at least a depth role with the Browns for the coming years. A path to the starting gig could also emerge depending on how the team’s four-man competition plays out this summer. Fellow quarterback Max Duggan – who has spent time in the Chargers’ organization and with the UFL’s St. Louis Battlehawks – is also on the Argonauts’ list.
Other signal-callers who find themselves on the negotiation list include former Saints draftee Ian Book (who has made just one regular season appearance in his career) and New Mexico State/Vanderbilt product Diego Pavia. The rights to both of them belong to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, meanwhile, have added former Colts UDFA Kedon Slovis to their negotiation list.
In addition to Trey Lance, the Saskatchewan Roughriders have the rights to Canadian Chase Claypool. The former second-rounder flashed considerable potential with the Steelers, but an ill-fated trade acquisition on the part of the Bears did not pan out as hoped. Claypool, 26, was unable to carve out a regular role with the Dolphins in 2023 and missed last season due to injury.
Another Canadian on the list is Eagles safety Sydney Brown. The London, Ontario native’s rights belong to Toronto, although his attention will of course remain focused on helping Philadelphia repeat as Super Bowl champions in 2025. Fellow defensive back Steven Gilmore – the younger brother of Stephon Gilmore – has been added to the BC Lions’ negotiation list.
Negotiating rights can (and do) get traded in the CFL based on positional need when teams attempt to acquire players such as the ones listed above. The end of NFL training camps brings about roster cuts and, oftentimes, an influx of players north of the border during the middle of the CFL campaign. The current team-player pairings on the negotiation list will be key in determining where players who wind up becoming available land in the event they attempt to continue their careers in Canada.
Chargers To Sign QB Trey Lance
Trey Lance will receive another chance in the NFL. The former No. 3 overall pick is signing with the Chargers, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports.
This will give the former North Dakota State star an opportunity to become Justin Herbert‘s backup, though Taylor Heinicke also re-signed last month. Lance will join the Bolts on a one-year deal worth up to $6.2MM. This now takes all four of the 2021 first-round QBs who hit free agency off the board, as Justin Fields (Jets), Zach Wilson (Dolphins) and Mac Jones (49ers) had found homes already.
Talk of a potential Cowboys-Lance reunion did commence, but the team made other plans post-Cooper Rush. Dallas let the 2023 trade acquisition hit free agency and has since traded for Joe Milton. Lance came up as a Colts option, but Indy paid up for Daniel Jones on a one-year deal to push Anthony Richardson.
Lance’s career arc has doubled as one of the strangest in modern QB history. His breakthrough college season occurred back in 2019 — a stupendous 28-touchdown, zero-interception slate that brought another Bison Division I-FCS title — but the COVID-19 pandemic nixed the FCS 2020 fall slate. Lance declared for the 2021 draft and commanded considerable interest, leading to a 49ers misstep. Amazingly, San Francisco did not lose much ground thanks to the Lance trade-up — a move that cost two first-round picks and a third — but the dual-threat QB’s fall in San Francisco was certainly a notable development for one of the 2020s’ top teams.
Lance is still just 24, and even after seeing some time following Dak Prescott‘s 2024 hamstring injury, he has thrown just 143 passes in four seasons. Considering how light his college workload was, Lance has simply not seen much action since a dominant season at just 19. The 49ers gave Lance their Week 1 starting job in 2022 but did so after regrouping with Jimmy Garoppolo — a player who spent months on the trade block as Lance readied for stater work. Lance’s ankle fracture in Week 2 of that season moved Garoppolo back into action, and after Brock Purdy‘s stunning emergence, Sam Darnold beat out Lance for San Francisco’s QB2 job in 2023, leading to the Dallas trade.
It is notable that Mike McCarthy did not turn to Lance following Prescott’s injury, instead going with a known commodity (Rush) for most of the season’s second half. Lance started just one game last season, a Week 18 encounter against Washington. Facing a playoff-bound Commanders team, Lance completed 20 of 34 passes for 244 yards. This did involve a fourth-quarter go-ahead drive against a Washington team playing defensive starters (and the Cowboys resting CeeDee Lamb), but Lance had thrown just seven 2024 passes prior to that game.
It appears Lance will have another chance to win a backup gig, one Heinicke (32) held after the Bolts were not satisfied with Easton Stick‘s work during the summer. Heinicke re-signed on a one-year, $2.5MM deal, so it will be interesting to learn the base value of Lance’s pact.
Lance brings upside still, but his ceiling has certainly caved in after underwhelming rookie-contract work. Lance, who rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 TDs during his redshirt-freshman performance, already made $34.1MM on his rookie deal. Jim Harbaugh and Co. will now take a look at the depressed asset on what amounts to a flier.
Patriots Trading Joe Milton To Cowboys
The Patriots are trading quarterback Joe Milton to the Cowboys, per FOX Sports’ Jordan Schultz.
Dallas will send one of its fifth-round compensatory picks in April’s draft to New England in exchange for Milton and a seventh-rounder, according to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The Patriots received the 171st overall pick and the Cowboys now have the 217th overall pick, per Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.
Milton was a sixth-round pick in 2024 who spent his rookie year as the Patriots’ QB3 behind No. 3 pick Drake Maye and veteran Jacoby Brissett. The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton brings a rare set of physical tools, including an especially powerful arm. He impressed in his lone appearance last season, completing 22 of his 29 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown, and a 111.4 passer rating in Week 18 against the Bills.
That performance helped to generate some trade buzz surrounding Milton, which picked up after the Patriots signed Joshua Dobbs. Dobbs arrived in New England to take over Brissett’s role, keeping Milton third on the depth chart with little potential for playing time. Milton was not seen as “an ideal backup” for Maye, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. The team even told Dobbs that they were looking to trade Milton in order to build their quarterback room around Maye and prioritize his development, per Breer.
Milton also wanted out of New England, seeing himself as a future starter and knowing he would have a better chance at seeing the field elsewhere, both in the short- and long-term. The Patriots granted permission for Milton to seek a trade, per Schultz, and the Cowboys “showed the most interest from the start.” The two teams had been negotiating for a few weeks before talks accelerated at league meetings in Florida, according to ESPN’s Todd Archer.
A number of other teams expressed interest in trading for Milton, according to Schultz, including the Raiders, Eagles, Giants, and Steelers. The Patriots had at least one better offer on the table, but worked with Milton to send him to his preferred landing spot in Dallas.
“My family grew up a Cowboys fan,” said Milton (via Schultz). “My mom always had a Cowboys shirt on. She always talked about them. Living in Texas has been a longtime dream of mine. And now I’m with them. I’m ready to work.”
Milton will arrive in Dallas as the presumptive backup to Dak Prescott. The Cowboys explored an extension with 2024 backup Trey Lance after Prescott went down last season, per Archer, but the former No. 3 pick remains a free agent. Dallas also had interest in Brissett and Drew Lock in free agency, according to Archer.
Milton has three years and $3.2MM remaining on his contract, per OverTheCap, while Brissett’s shorter, two-year deal with the Cardinals is worth three times as much. With Prescott still commanding the highest salary in the NFL, the Cowboys opted to trade for a young, cost-controlled with developmental upside over the next three years.
Saskatchewan Roughriders Acquire QB Trey Lance’s CFL Rights
Trey Lance remains unsigned, and as a result his playing future is uncertain. If the former No. 3 pick is to play north of the border, his destination is now known. 
The Saskatchewan Roughriders have added Lance to their negotiation list, TSN’s Dave Naylor reports. To be clear, this does not mean they are imminently set to sign the former 49ers and Cowboys quarterback. If Lance does show an interest in playing in the CFL, though, the team will have exclusive negotiating rights with him.
Lance showed considerable potential in 2019, delivering high-end production at North Dakota State that year. He did not develop as planned in San Francisco, though, and his season-ending 2022 injury ultimately resulted in Brock Purdy cementing his status as the team’s franchise quarterback. Lance was traded to Dallas during the 2023 offseason.
That deal did not result in any playing time during his debut Cowboys season, and for 2024 the 24-year-old remained behind Cooper Rush on the depth chart (with the exception of Week 18). Rush has departed on the free agent market, but the Cowboys have already made clear their expectation Lance will land with a new team as well. If that happens to consist of a Saskatchewan deal, it will mark the second time a member of his family plays for the team. Following his college career, Lance’s father Carlton spent one season as a cornerback for the Roughriders.
Saskatchewan’s quarterback depth chart is set to once again be topped by CFL veteran Trevor Harris in 2025. Considering his age (38), though, adding Lance – who was mentioned earlier this month as a potential Vikings target – could give the team a younger option to succeed him or compete for the starting gig. It will be interesting to see if a move north winds up receiving consideration on Lance’s part.
Vikings Considering Re-Signing Daniel Jones; Colts In Play For QB?
MARCH 9: As Darnold nears a trip to free agency, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reports retaining Jones is still a distinct possibility. The Colts are the other top contender in this situation, she adds. Other quarterbacks will no doubt receive more attention over the coming days as the early portion of free agency unfolds, but Jones could have his next deal in place rather soon.
MARCH 2: Lost in the shuffle among this year’s free agent quarterback crop, Daniel Jones still looms as a potential bridge option for a team. After Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold rejuvenated their careers on one-year deals in recent years, Jones could be in play for a team eyeing a similar rebound for a once-highly regarded prospect.
Jones had more time with his initial team (by a wide margin) than those players, potentially reducing the chances he can still be a starter-caliber passer, but interest remains in the six-year Giants starter. Holding exclusive negotiating rights with Jones until March 10, the Vikings remain in play to re-sign him in a plan that would not include Darnold.
As Minnesota has until 3pm CT March 4 to use its franchise tag on Darnold, the team could go with a cheaper plan while passing on cuffing its 2024 starter. The prospect of the Vikings re-signing Jones as J.J. McCarthy insurance is believed to be a true consideration, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler notes. This would set Darnold up to hit the market as the top QB option and essentially thrust Jones into the role Darnold held going into the Vikes’ 2024 offseason program. This is not the first time Jones taking Darnold’s Twin Cities spot has come up.
Although a report pegged McCarthy as having work to do — following two knee surgeries — to solidify himself as the Minnesota starter, Fowler pushes back on that by indicating the Michigan alum has already shown he can be the team’s franchise QB. Considering McCarthy lost his entire rookie year due to a meniscus tear, it would be difficult for the Vikings to truly express confidence in their preferred 2025 option being ready. But the team showing this much confidence already would seem to point Darnold out of town.
The Vikings signed Jones to their practice squad last November, keeping him there until January. Jones was not active for Minnesota’s wild-card game, separating this from the situation in which Mayfield used a Rams stopover to help generate some momentum. Jones has next to no momentum after disappointing on his four-year, $160MM Giants extension, but he is a former No. 6 overall pick who will only be going into his age-28 season. Considering Kevin O’Connell‘s acumen coaching QBs, Jones on a bridge deal would be a sensible option for a Vikings team with lucrative contracts at receiver and tight end.
Minnesota has still kept its Darnold card close to the vest, though it would seem the only way he would stay is in the case of a franchise tag, which a recent report tabbed as unlikely. Darnold has a chance to score a much bigger contract, after making the Pro Bowl on the original ballot in a 2024 breakthrough, compared to the one-year, $10MM he inked with the Vikes last March. While his exit would allow for Jones to take his place, Darnold receiving the tag would force Jones to look elsewhere. Even if the Vikings do not tag Darnold, they would need to fend off other suitors for Jones.
One could be the Colts, whom Fowler adds he heard connected to Jones on multiple occasions recently. The Colts are ready to insert Anthony Richardson into a legitimate competition. While the team would understandably hope the former No. 4 overall pick wins it, Richardson’s rampant accuracy issues — before and after a midseason benching — have created a need in Indianapolis. A Jones-Richardson competition would not exactly inspire confidence, but Shane Steichen also played a key role in developing Jalen Hurts. The Colts would hope he can do more with Jones than Brian Daboll could.
Justin Fields, Trey Lance and a Jacoby Brissett reunion are also believed to be options for the Colts, Fowler adds. Indy would need to pay up for Fields, who has been connected to just about every QB-needy team this offseason. The Steelers appear to have him prioritized over Russell Wilson, while the Giants, Jets and Raiders are also being tied to the 2021 first-rounder. Lance-Richardson would be a wild matchup, like a crossroads fight in boxing, as both have not come close to justifying their draft slots. Lance also would not bring much insurance, given his struggles and inexperience.
Brissett has a history of helping the Colts out as a short-term solution, being an emergency Andrew Luck fill-in in 2017 and 2019. He signed a two-year, $30MM Colts extension but left in free agency after backing up Philip Rivers in 2020. Brissett has signed one-year deals in each of the past four offseasons and is unlikely to stay with the Patriots.
Cowboys Expect Trey Lance To Depart, Plan To Draft QB
With Dak Prescott on the books for the foreseeable future, the top of the Cowboys’ quarterback depth chart is set. Dallas may well have a new backup in place for 2025, though.
[RELATED: Cowboys Open Contract Talks With Osa Odighizuwa]
Trey Lance is a pending free agent with his rookie contract set to expire. The former No. 3 pick’s brief time with the 49ers ended via trade in 2023, with the Cowboys acquiring him for a fourth-round selection. Lance did not not see any playing time during his first Dallas campaign, though, and this past season he made only one start despite Dak Prescott‘s missed time.
“We took a shot a Trey and wanted to do that,” COO Stephen Jones said on Monday (via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News). “We think the world of Trey. But us having Dak signed up for the long-term, I think he’s probably going to be looking for something different.”
Indeed, it would come as no surprise if Lance were to head elsewhere on the open market. The 24-year-old is unlikely to draw much in the way of free agent interest having only made 12 regular season appearances and five starts to date, but a team could allow him the opportunity to compete for a backup gig in the summer. The QB2 role has belonged to Cooper Rush for much of his Cowboys tenure, but he too is set to see his contract expire in March.
Jones spoke positively about Rush, 31, when asked about his situation. The former UDFA has made 13 starts across the 2022 and ’24 campaigns when Prescott has been sidelined through injury. Rush’s last contract (two years, $5MM) was the most lucrative one of his career, but Jones noted he could receive a raise by means of a free agent departure. Especially if that takes place, the Cowboys can be expected to draft Prescott’s next backup (something Moore notes new head coach Brian Schottenheimer and quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko support).
“You know, I think one of our goals is to get a young quarterback in the draft,” Jones said. “I don’t know where that’s going to be. It seems like all the quarterbacks, even guys we have in the fourth round, go in the first. They always go so much higher than what you think.”
The Cowboys are currently projected to have 10 picks in April’s draft, including four in a stretch from Nos. 150-174. That range could give the team the opportunity to add an inexpensive backup while Dallas manages the cap implications of Prescott’s historic 2024 extension.