Jimmy Johnson doesn't usually mince words. He's got that old-school, Florida-tanned bluntness that makes for great television and, occasionally, very awkward conversations in the Dallas Cowboys front office. When the news broke that Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension, making him the first player in NFL history to average $60 million a year, most of the football world gasped at the numbers. Jimmy didn't just gasp. He went on the offensive.
Basically, Jimmy Johnson thinks the Cowboys backed themselves into a corner they might not be able to get out of. He’s been vocal about how this deal hampers the rest of the roster. You've got to remember, Jimmy is the guy who built a dynasty by trading away a superstar (Herschel Walker) for a mountain of draft picks. To him, overpaying for one guy—even the quarterback—at the expense of the depth is football heresy.
Former Cowboys Coach Jimmy Johnson Criticizes Dak Prescott's Contract as a Financial Trap
"I would never have given Prescott a new contract," Jimmy told Colin Cowherd recently. He didn't stop there. He went on to say he would have let the quarterback play out his deal. It's a "prove it" mentality that Jimmy carries from his days in the 90s. Honestly, it’s a polarizing take because if Dak had hit the open market in 2025, some team with a desperate owner would’ve probably handed him $70 million a year just to see if he could save their franchise.
Jimmy’s logic is pretty straightforward: Dak is a great player, but he isn't the best player. In Jimmy's eyes, if you're the highest-paid guy in the league, you better be the guy carrying the team on your back when the playoffs get heavy.
- The Price Tag: $60 million per year.
- The Guarantees: $231 million in total guarantees.
- The Problem: Dak’s 2026 cap hit is projected to be north of $74 million.
That $74 million number is the one that really keeps Jimmy up at night. He argues that when one player takes up nearly a quarter of your total salary cap, you can't afford the offensive line help or the elite defenders needed to actually win a Super Bowl. It’s a math problem that Jerry Jones seems to think he can solve, but Jimmy remains skeptical.
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The "Wait and See" Strategy Jimmy Wanted
What's wild is that Jimmy actually supported the idea of Dak being "the guy" earlier in the year. He's been caught in a bit of a flip-flop, sure. But as the season progressed and the Cowboys' weaknesses became more glaring, he shifted his stance. He believes they should have waited. If Dak wins a Super Bowl? Fine, pay him then. If he struggles or gets hurt—which, unfortunately, happened with the hamstring tear—you’ve saved yourself a quarter of a billion dollars in liability.
Jimmy's philosophy is rooted in roster flexibility. He’s always been a "Value" guy. If the price for a quarterback exceeds their ability to overcome a mediocre supporting cast, Jimmy says you move on. It’s cold. It’s business. It’s how he won two rings in Dallas.
A Conflict of Philosophies: Jimmy vs. Jerry
It’s no secret that Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson have had a rocky relationship for thirty years. They finally "made up" when Jimmy was inducted into the Ring of Honor, but their football philosophies are still miles apart. Jerry wants to keep the "star" in Dallas. He sees Dak as a brand, a leader, and a top-tier regular-season winner.
Jimmy sees a salary cap sheet.
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He looks at the upcoming negotiations for Micah Parsons and realizes that with Dak and CeeDee Lamb taking up so much space, the Cowboys are going to be "financially strapped." That’s his exact phrase. He’s worried they’ll have to let a generational talent like Parsons walk or trade him away just to keep the lights on.
Is Dak Prescott Really "The Problem"?
To be fair, Jimmy isn't saying Dak is a bad quarterback. He’s actually called him a great leader. The issue is purely about the "slotting" of the money. In the modern NFL, if you aren't Patrick Mahomes, taking $60 million a year makes it almost impossible to build a defense that can stop... well, Patrick Mahomes.
The stats tell two different stories:
- Regular Season Dak: High completion percentage, 30+ touchdowns, wins the NFC East.
- Playoff Dak: A 2-5 record that haunts the franchise every January.
Jimmy knows that in Dallas, you aren't judged by your QBR in October. You're judged by the trophies in the lobby. By criticizing the contract, he’s pointing out that the Cowboys have doubled down on a formula that hasn't reached an NFC Championship game in nearly three decades.
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What This Means for the Cowboys' Future
If you're a fan, Jimmy’s comments are kinda like a reality check from a rich uncle who actually knows how to win. The "all-in" mantra Jerry Jones touted before the season felt hollow to Jimmy because the contract structure actually prevented the team from being aggressive in free agency.
What should the Cowboys do now? Honestly, they’re stuck. You can't trade a guy with that much dead money on his deal easily. They have to hope Jimmy is wrong. They have to hope that Dak returns from his injury better than ever and that the cap continues to rise so fast that $60 million looks like a "bargain" by 2027.
But if the Cowboys keep exiting early in the playoffs while their cap remains clogged with massive hits, Jimmy Johnson’s "I told you so" is going to echo through AT&T Stadium for a long time.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Offseason:
- Watch the Micah Parsons Deal: If the Cowboys can't find a way to make Parsons the highest-paid defender while keeping Dak, Jimmy’s fears of a "roster gutting" are officially real.
- Monitor the Post-June 1 Designations: The front office will likely have to use every accounting trick in the book to lower Dak's $74M cap hit in 2026.
- Draft Depth is Mandatory: Since they can't afford high-priced veterans, the Cowboys must hit on 3rd and 4th round picks to fill starting roles.
The debate isn't going away. Every time Dak throws a touchdown, the "he's worth it" crowd will cheer. Every time they lose a close game or struggle to stop the run because they lack defensive depth, people will point back to Jimmy Johnson’s warning. It's the price of doing business in Big D.