The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of a disappointing 4-7 season and their future could be even bleaker due to their salary cap status.

Dak Prescott’s record extension, along with the new deal CeeDee Lamb signed in August, will account for a large portion of the Cowboys’ salary cap in 2025. With Dallas likely to have to make some tough financial decisions this season, former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson believes the franchise made a misstep with Prescott’s deal.

“They’re so strapped financially with all these contracts,” Johnson said on FS1’s “The Herd” when asked what he would do if he were to lead the Cowboys this season.

“First of all, I would never have given Prescott a new contract. I would have let him play it out. He’s the highest-paid player in the league. He’s not the best player in the league. He didn’t go.” to go somewhere. If you went to the Super Bowl with him, you wouldn’t be going anywhere. Pay him anything. If he struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate. If he gets hurt, you save money.

“But they’re so financially strapped right now that I don’t know what they’re doing.”

Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension with the Cowboys in September that included $231 million in guaranteed money. The average annual deal value and guaranteed money were the richest in NFL history. His season ended after Week 9 when he tore his hamstring.

The contract for Prescott came a few weeks after Lamb signed an extension worth $136 million over four seasons with $100 million guaranteed. As a result, Prescott ($89.9 million) and Lamb ($35.5 million) will have huge cap numbers next season. With next season’s salary cap expected to be around $272.5 million, Prescott and Lamb’s numbers will make up about 45% of their salary cap.

While Prescott and Lamb received new deals, standout linebacker Micah Parsons did not. He will enter the final year of his contract in 2025 and if he were to be extended, the Cowboys would likely have a significant portion of their salary cap tied to three players in 2026 and future seasons.

With a contract decision on Parsons looming, some have wondered whether it would be a good idea for the Cowboys to trade him to fill a roster that has proven to have multiple holes. Johnson doesn’t think that’s a good idea.

Jimmy Johnson’s take on what the Dallas Cowboys should do this offseason

“Parsons is such a great, great player,” Johnson said. “It would have to be a boatload of picks to trade him. I wouldn’t want to get rid of him. He’s their entire defense. He’s a game-changer. Al Davis once told me I was talking about players, and he said that particular player I was talking about – it was Michael Irvin – wins games for you. You don’t want to get rid of a player who wins games for you.

Parsons has missed four games this season due to an ankle injury, which is just part of the reason why Dallas’ defense is near the bottom of the league. But when he was healthy, he was productive. Through seven games, he has a team-high five sacks, along with 25 total tackles, 11 QB hits and a forced fumble. He also has a team-high 36 pressures this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

Earlier this week, Johnson said on “The Facility” that he wouldn’t make a move to hire Colorado’s Deion Sanders as head coach if he were in charge of the Cowboys. While rumors swirl around head coach Mike McCarthy, Johnson would not be making a move there either after owner Jerry Jones left open the possibility that McCarthy could be extended at the end of the season.

“They’re talking about changing coaching,” Johnson said. “Well, I don’t know if a change of coach is going to help them. Mike McCarthy is a good football coach. I don’t know if a new coach can solve the problem.”

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