It’s a bit unusual for the Cowboys to be in the depths of the 2024 NFL offseason, with a quarterback on the roster who was a Pro Bowler and an MVP candidate, a guy who was third in the NFL with 4,516 yards, first in completion percentage (69.5%), first in touchdowns (36) and second in rating (105.9), and yet still be uncertain about the franchise’s future at the league’s most important position.
That’s just the way things are for the team and Dak Prescott, whose regular-season heroics were not enough to stave off another NFL playoff bust, as the team flamed out against the Packers at home in the opening round. With Prescott heading into the final year of his contract, his future in Dallas is strangely murky.
But USA Today offers some comfort, hypothetical though it may be. In its early 2025 NFL mock draft, the site has the Cowboys landing the son of franchise legend and Colorado coach Deion Sanders—quarterback Shedeur Sanders—to replace Prescott.
“While there’s plenty of time for Dak Prescott to iron out an agreement to stay in Dallas for the foreseeable future, the eight-year veteran hasn’t engaged in any contract talks yet and can force his way onto the free-agent market – where he’d be sure to command an astronomical payday,” the site noted this week.
“If the nightmare scenario somehow materializes for Jerry Jones, having Sanders take the reins to the Cowboys’ attack would be a fascinating possibility.”
Shedeur Sanders Tabbed ‘Most Polarizing Prospect’
During last season, USA Today’s Curt Popejoy declared Sanders, “the most polarizing prospect in the country.” That’s not an issue for the Cowboys, of course.
He was right, no question. After two stellar seasons at Jackson State, he followed his father to the Boulder last year, and made an immediate splash, when he threw for 510 yards and four touchdowns against 16th-ranked TCU in his Colorado debut. That was followed by six touchdowns, one interception and 941 yards in his next two games, both wins, against Nebraska and Colorado State.
From there, Sanders kept up the numbers, but the Buffaloes went 1-7, taking some bloom off his rose and nudging him to return for his senior season rather than testing the 2024 NFL draft, which was top-heavy on quarterbacks, with six picked in the first 12 selections.
Despite the record, and despite the quality of players at the QB spot in this record-setting draft, Sanders drew attention for saying he was better than all of them.
“I’m biased, but I don’t see a quarterback that’s better than me,” Sanders told Sports Illustrated’s Brice Butler during Super Bowl week. “I don’t see a quarterback that went through as much adversity as me, that had four [offensive coordinators] in four years.
“Coming from an HBCU, coming to a Power Five [program], having real pressure on me. A lot of people don’t understand, that’s a lot more adversity than you think just even being the son of Deion Sanders.”
Cowboys Might Not Be in 2025 Draft Range for Top QB
While Sanders’ self-promotion might seem like bombast, he does have his supporters. ESPN’s Field Yates wrote that Sanders might be the first pick of the draft, which would make him all but unattainable for the Cowboys barring a blockbuster trade.
“I actually think Sanders feels like the early leader to be the first pick in the draft, as his elite pocket passing is beyond impressive. … How he can carve up a defense when given time and space is legit,” Yates said.
But the Draft Network tabs him as a Day 2 pick, emblematic of the split among scouts when it comes to Sanders. His 49 sacks taken are a big red flag. “Sanders tends to hold the football longer in the pocket. This leads to unnecessary sacks and hits. He will sit and wait for routes to break free from the coverage,” the site wrote.
He’d be a fascinating presence in Dallas—just as his father was in his time with the Cowboys.
