Welcome to the weekly edition of QB Room. Let’s kick off the season with the pressing questions about NFC quarterbacks.
NFC East
Is this Dak Prescott’s final in Dallas?
With CeeDee Lamb’s extension in the works, Prescott’s extension will be the cloud hanging over the franchise until some sort of resolution is reached. Cowboys ownership has publicly stated that there is no deadline for the deal, but it is highly unlikely that Prescott will reach an agreement once the season begins.
Now that the Lamb negotiations are over, Dallas can focus solely on Prescott until Week 1 kicks off on September 8. While I don’t think it’s a good sign that a Prescott deal wasn’t done while the team was in Oxnard for training camp, I think the order of things was designed for Lamb’s extension to get done first. So technically, a Prescott deal is still on schedule.
For those looking for optimism beyond Lamb’s deal, fans can also take heart from the fact that Trey Lance showed in the preseason that he’s far from being a starting quarterback in the NFL. That five-interception exhibition finale should be a not-so-gentle reminder to owners of what it might be like to return to an abyss of quarterback need.
Another thought that should suggest an extension is coming in the next 10 days: There is no clear Plan B at the position for Dallas in the event Prescott leaves in free agency. Any promising scenario is going to cost assets and money, and will always carry a significant element of risk (see Denver’s trade for Russell Wilson in 2022). The obvious move with the least risk is still to sign Prescott to an extension. Just like it did last year.
Is Daniel Jones likely to start the season on the bench?
Jones certainly hasn’t done anything in his limited preseason action to suggest he has a stranglehold on the starting job. The Giants’ first-team offense was pummeled in a joint practice with the New York Jets, and Jones’ lone preseason game against the Houston Texans featured a pair of interceptions. Frankly, it was fair to wonder whether New York should have started Jones in the final preseason game just to give him a chance to score. something Things started well before the regular season. But Jones was superb in his only preseason game last year, and we saw how little that mattered once the games started to count.
The only upside to Jones is that backup quarterback Drew Lock has a similarly poor overall record as a starter and doesn’t currently hold much promise as a long-term solution. But there are more factors weighing on Jones’ situation than just his on-field performance. He has $23 million in injury guarantees for the 2025 season, which presents some risk for the Giants if Jones is poor and the team considers parting ways with him after the season, especially after neck issues and a torn ACL. As it stands, the Giants could save nearly $20 million on next year’s salary…