While the Dallas Cowboys would love to be playing in this weekend's NFC Conference Championship, their wild card loss to the Green Bay Packers is leaving them with conversations purely about the future.

That includes Dak Prescott's. The quarterback's controversial standing with the fanbase is at an all-time high after another underwhelming game in the postseason.

But as we look forward to what will be a critical offseason for a franchise that's fixed in "running it back," it's time to dive into what's in store for Prescott with an objective and unbiased view. With that, let's talk about it. 

3 things to know about Dak Prescott’s future

1. Dak Prescott’s contract extension is getting done

Ian Rapoport from NFL Network has already reported that the Cowboys are expected to extend Prescott and it’s objectively the most obvious outcome to this situation. Let’s break down why this is almost a guaranteed move: 

1. Prescott has a $60 million cap hit in 2024, which the Cowboys are likely going to want to change for salary cap management purposes. While it's true the cap is very manipulable, this is the kind of move you'd make to actually do the manipulating.
2. Prescott has a no-trade and no-tag clause in his contract. That means if he wants to make it to free agency in 2025, the Cowboys can't do anything to stop him. That's a dangerous place to be in for the 2024 season. 
3. The Cowboys' theme this offseason is "run it back." Sticking with Mike McCarthy at head coach screams of a "safe decision" which is being made to stay a winning franchise, even if it means not gambling for the next step. There's no reason to believe this franchise is ready to move on from Prescott.

2. He will likely become the highest-paid QB in the NFL

This one goes hand in hand with the above note about how Prescott has all the leverage in the world in this negotiation. Fans might get upset if he earns top dollar because many will point out he’s not the best quarterback in the league and “he doesn’t deserve elite money.”

The problem with that line of thinking is that the quarterback market simply doesn't work that way. QBs consistently move the goalpost for most valuable contract because of the QB-needy teams out there that would pay them top money if they were to hit free agency.

So this is more of a question of "How much would teams like the Patriots, Giants, Falcons, Broncos, Raiders, Saints, Steelers (among others) pay for Prescott?" than it is "Where does Prescott rank in the NFL world?"

The answer is a lot. That's the price. And if the Cowboys are to keep him, they'll need to pay it. I don't need to remind anybody we're talking about a Second-Team All-Pro QB here.

Expect Prescott to land a deal north of $55 million per year in average value, which is what the Bengals' Joe Burrow signed for last offseason. 

3. It won’t be a ‘no strings attached’ affair

When Prescott was signed to his current deal in 2021, it was a given that the Cowboys were going to re-sign him to a new deal eventually. “Eventually” meaning, the 2024 offseason at the latest. 

This time around, I don't think a third extension will be guaranteed. The next contract between the Cowboys and Prescott is likelier to be more flexible for an out down the road. That will all hinge on how the deal is structured but it also means a big thing for the front office: I expect the Cowboys to keep throwing darts at developmental quarterbacks such as QB Trey Lance, whom the team traded for last year.

With Prescott turning 31 this offseason, Cowboys might want to start working on a Plan B. 

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Concerns about Prescott's performance in the postseason are fair, especially given how things went down versus the Packers. There's no denying he played a dreadful game and was clearly pressured by the moment as he was noticeably jittery in the pocket from start to finish.

However, that's simply not enough to tear it all down in a league where over 10 of 32 teams could be looking for a quarterback this very offseason. 

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