The Dallas Cowboys entered the offseason with three contracts they knew would be major topics. The Cowboys have CeeDee Lamb, Dak Prescott, and Micah Parsons, who all want deals before their first snap in December.

The situation with Prescott doesn’t seem likely to be resolved before the regular season. The Cowboys could have a dire situation at the position after a move they made on Wednesday afternoon.

The Dallas Cowboys decline Trey Lance’s fifth-year option

According to Todd Archer with ESPN, the Cowboys declined to pick up Trey Lance’s fifth-year option, a decision the Cowboys made last year:

That decision was essentially made in August when the Cowboys acquired Lance from the San Francisco 49ers for a 2024 fourth-round pick. Had the Cowboys picked up the option, it would have cost $22.4 million, been fully guaranteed and been at odds with the club’s stated preference of keeping Dak Prescott after 2024.

As it stands, the Cowboys do not have a quarterback on their roster signed beyond this season, with Prescott, Lance and Cooper Rush set to hit unrestricted free agency in March. The Cowboys are unable to use the franchise tag on Prescott, and the quarterback recently said talks had not really started on an extension.

The Cowboys have zero QBs signed for the 2025 season

The Cowboys took their time before deciding not to pick up the option. The deadline to pick up a player’s fifth-year option is Thursday. However, it wasn’t realistic that the Cowboys would pick it up. Per Over The Cap, the projected cost of picking up Lance’s option was approximately $22 million for the 2025 season. The Cowboys weren’t going to pay that to a quarterback who has made two career starts.

Will the Cowboys extend a quarterback for 2025?

The Cowboys will need to re-sign or add another quarterback to the roster soon. Not having one quarterback from the 2024 roster could put next year’s squad behind in a big way. It’s never too early to be all-in for the 2025 season.