BREAKING: Dallas Cowboys make official $47 million decision over Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith
THE DALLAS COWBOYS have made two massive decisions over the contracts of Dak Prescott and Tyler Smith.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has been keen to restructure several key contracts with free agency approaching.
Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott runs off the field after a win over the Washington Commanders last OctoberCredit: Getty
Tyler Smith reacts during a game against the Washington Commanders last JanuaryCredit: Getty
No contract restructure has been more important than Prescott’s after he signed a four-year, $240 million deal in 2024.
The star quarterback was due to earn $40 million in base salary for the 2026 NFL season, with his cap hit a mind-blowing $74.06 million.
Per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cowboys have now officially restructured his contract to clear up significant cap space.
Jones has also managed to restructure star guard Tyler Smith’s contract to create a total cap saving of $47 million.
With their contracts now restructured, Prescott’s base salary is down to $1.8 million while Smith’s is in the region of $1.7 million.
They are clearly going all in on the 2026 season with Prescott’s cap number for 2027 now in excess of $76 million.
The report added that the Cowboys are still aiming to restructure CeeDee Lamb’s contract ahead of free agency beginning on March 11.
That should clear an added $19m in salary cap space, with the Cowboys reportedly now cap compliant.
However, if they want to strike in free agency in pursuit of a Super Bowl, further restructures will be required.
It has also been reported that the team will rework the contracts of Kenny Clark, Quinnen Williams, and Osa Odighizuwa.
That will free up in the region of $63 million in salary cap space.
The contracts of Clark and Williams were both inherited from two of the blockbuster trades the Cowboys were involved in last year.
Clark came from the Green Bay Packers alongside two first-round picks in exchange for Micah Parsons.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys traded for Williams with the New York Jets at the November deadline in exchange for a 2026 2nd round pick, a 2027 1st round pick, and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Jones anticipates that the Cowboys will be big spenders in free agency, unlike the past decade.
There are still plenty of moves to be made before they can splash the cash around, however.
SHOCKING MOVE FOR MIAMI: Dolphins set to release Tua Tagovailoa in favor of a cheap, high-upside QB—Kyler Murray’s release could make him the perfect fit for Miami’s rebuild!
Dolphins have 1.3 million new reasons to release Tua Tagovailoa
Why not cut bait and add a more dynamic player for cheap.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Just about everybody in the NFL world knows that the Miami Dolphins and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are headed for a divorce. There are too many reasons to count at this point as to why it will happen, but general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan just got another one this week.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals will be releasing QB Kyler Murray, ending the 2019 first overall pick’s run with the franchise. Thanks to the amount of money Murray is owed from the Cardinals in 2026, any team looking to sign him would only have to pay the league minimum for a one-year deal. That number? A measly $1.3 million.
The same will be true for Tagovailoa when his eventual release comes to pass, but Murray appears to have much more left to offer potential suitors this offseason. For a cash-strapped Dolphins team, he could be a cheap way to keep the offense competitive in 2026.
The Miami Dolphins would be wise to give Kyler Murray a second chance as a starting QB
All of the focus on the Dolphins QB search is on Malik Willis, and for good reason. Sullivan and head coach Jeff Hafley know him well from their two years together with the Green Bay Packers, and Willis offers something that no other free agent QBs have: legitimate upside.
That upside, however, looks primed to make him a very rich man this offseason. Contract projections have ranged from around $20 million per season to over $30 million, money that the Dolphins may not want to spend in the first year of a full-scale rebuild. With the rest of the free agent options lacking any real upside (or even that great of a floor, to be honest), Murray could be the next best option.
Even if Murray never returns to the level of play that earned him a big extension in Arizona, he would likely be a sizable upgrade compared to what Miami got from Tagovailoa last season. The big question is whether the Dolphins feel it’s necessary to add someone like him when they are unlikely to compete in 2026. Rolling with 2025 seventh-round pick Quinn Ewers might make more sense if their goal is to just stay above water.
If Hafley is committed to trying to field the best team he can in his first year, however, few available options would be better for that than Murray. With a few cheap additions in free agency and a solid first draft class under Sullivan, Miami could reasonably win a similar number of games in 2026 as they did a year ago.
Fans may scoff at the idea of trying to stay relevant in the middle of a clear rebuild, but NFL players and coaches never want to lose. It’s not in their DNA to think about the benefits of a bad season that nets a top pick. And if that’s the mentality this upcoming season, don’t be surprised if Miami is one of the teams linked to Murray once he is officially released.