Dak Prescott Trade Reportedly Not Being Discussed by Cowboys, Browns Despite Buzz

It didn't take very long for a rumor regarding the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys discussing a trade for star quarterback Dak Prescott to be shot down.

After Cleveland sports radio personality Bruce Drennan reported that the Browns and Cowboys were engaged in negotiations, NFL Network's Jane Slater reported that she was told by two sources that it's "fake news" and Prescott will "absolutely not" be heading to the Midwest.

Drennan even went as far as claiming that Cleveland would send cornerback Greg Newsome II and draft compensation to Dallas in exchange for Prescott. However, there are multiple reasons why a trade for the 31-year-old isn't feasible for the Browns.

Prescott signed a four-year contract extension worth $240 million prior to the 2024 season, and his cap hit for the 2025 campaign will be a whopping $53 million, per Spotrac. A contract of that size would be difficult for any franchise to take on, especially a Cleveland team that already has a $37 million cap hit on its books for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Also, Cleveland owns the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, so it seems more likely that the team would use it on a top quarterback prospect rather than shipping away assets to acquire a signal-caller on the other side of 30 who is coming off a major injury.

Prescott was limited to eight games in 2024 after suffering a hamstring injury that required season-ending surgery. He produced 1,978 yards, 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions before being sidelined.

In Prescott's absence, the Cowboys trudged through a lost season that ended with a 7-10 record. The team missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020, and head coach Mike McCarthy was not retained at the end of the year. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was promoted to head coach and will now be tasked with trying to bring the best out of Prescott as Dallas works its way back toward the mountaintop.