NFL Scout Links Shedeur Sanders to Cowboys amid Dak Prescott Contract Rumors

An NFC scout suggested this week that University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders could be on the Dallas Cowboys' radar should they decide against signing quarterback Dak Prescott to a contract extension.

According to ESPN's Jordan Reid, the anonymous area scout said:

"With the Dak contract mess happening and struggling to pay their other stars, you better believe that [owner and general manager] Jerry [Jones] has it in the back of his mind what the benefits of a young and cheap QB could be for that team if they crash and burn again in the playoffs. Imagine a home-state kid whose dad not only played for your franchise but was a highly successful player, and Shedeur is the type of player that'd embrace the star on the side of his helmet."

Sanders' father and head coach at the University of Colorado, Deion Sanders, is a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback who helped the Cowboys win their most recent Super Bowl in 1995.

Prescott is coming off the best season of his career, as he finished second in the NFL MVP voting and was a second-team All-Pro in 2023, but questions remain about his long-term future with the Cowboys.

Perhaps the biggest reason for that is the fact that Dallas continues to stumble in the playoffs, including a shocking home loss to the underdog Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round last season.

Despite that, Prescott told Fox 4's Jeff Kolb this week that he has "a ton of confidence" that he and the Cowboys will be able to get a deal done at some point.

Additionally, Cowboys Executive Vice President Stephen Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Clarence E. Hill Jr. that contract talks with Prescott and his representatives have been "upbeat."

If the Cowboys are going to re-sign Prescott, they will almost certainly have to pay him north of $50 million per year based on recent quarterback contracts.

Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, Jordan Love of the Packers and Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions all signed new deals in recent months and exceeded the $50 million mark.

However, if the Cowboys have another playoff shortcoming this season and decide the money would perhaps be better spent on extensions for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and pass-rusher Micah Parsons, the draft could become an option.

After completing 69.3 percent of his passes for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions in his first season at Colorado in 2023, Sanders is widely expected to be among the best signal-callers in college football this season and in the 2025 draft.

It is unclear if the Cowboys will be able to position themselves to take Sanders since he figures to come off the board early, but if they can, he would potentially be an ideal fit given that he was born and raised in Texas.

Getting a quarterback on a rookie contract may be the best way for the Cowboys to ensure they can keep the rest of their talented roster together, so it may at least be a consideration for the franchise.

Another name to keep an eye on is quarterback Trey Lance, who went third overall to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Cowboys traded for him last year, and if they let Prescott walk, it is possible Lance could be re-signed at a much lower price to vie for the starting job.