3 Cowboys who won't be back after Jerry Jones waited too long to pay Dak Prescott

History has a funny way of repeating itself. If you have been following along with the Dallas Cowboys in recent years, you tend to see patterns. America's Team has become America's Glorified Hype Machine, generating so much buzz that you have no choice but to tune it out because you know all and well that it is so going to malfunction and fail to get the job done before the end of the season.

For Jerry Jones reasons, the Cowboys have a head coach in Mike McCarthy and a quarterback in Dak Prescott playing on expiring contracts. More well-run organizations would never allow that to be the case, but Jones' ego relishes in it. God, does he want to be a robber baron more than anything in the world. Too bad Jones is at best a distant third to Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk in that regard today.

Since he did not pay Prescott what he was worth before the Detroit Lions decided to pay Jared Goff, we are looking at a top-eight quarterback possibly resetting the entire market in Prescott. It would not be shocking if he is slated to make upwards of $60 million annually. He already made $40 million annually over the last four years. The reckless nature of the Cowboys should cost them dearly in this.

With the Cowboys failing to pay Prescott before the Lions paid Goff, these three players are so gone.

3. Dallas Cowboys ILB Eric Kendricks

Eric Kendricks may have signed a one-year deal to play for the Cowboys this upcoming season, but for so many reasons, it will be another one-off sort of deal like he had with the Los Angeles Chargers last season. Prior to 2023, Kendricks spent the bulk of his pro career out of UCLA with the Minnesota Vikings. He is essentially replacing Leighton Vander Esch who had to medically retire this offseason.

Even though he is making a shade under $3 million annually, middle linebacker is a position the Cowboys would rather use draft capital on solving than actually paying someone much of anything. To be frank, Vander Esch and Sean Lee before him proved to be too injury-prone to ever be relied upon. Having to pay Prescott a gross premium means Kendricks will have to go find another team.

If there is a new coaching staff in place for 2025, that probably only guarantees Kendricks' departure.

2. Dallas Cowboys QB Cooper Rush

History is going to repeat itself again, isn't it? Well, maybe not exactly. See, Dallas has already paid Prescott's backup Cooper Rush good money on a previous contract. He is not a clipboard savior, but he is thriving, brother. Rush will be hitting free agency after this season. Since Dallas somehow ended up with John Lynch's GOB Bluth huge mistake in Trey Lance, they are not going to pay Rush big again.

I mean, what could possibly justify paying more than $70 million to three players at one position where only one of them should ever play? Yes, that would be roughly the number if Prescott got $60 million and Rush got closer to what Lance is still making on the back-end of his rookie contract at around $5 million. To me, Lance and Rush are mutually exclusive entities, so one always had to go.

With Lance being younger and more of a stand-in version of Prescott, I think he will be prioritized.

1. Dallas Cowboys G Zack Martin

This is where it is really going to hurt. It is not just that the Cowboys didn't pay Prescott in time, it is that they dragged their feet with a ton of other great players on their roster. After supposedly getting Prescott under contract, Dallas will prioritize the likes of CeeDee Lamb before they get to paying the only indisputable Pro Football Hall of Famer on their roster once more. I am talking about Zack Martin.

For as much fanfare as Travis Frederick garnered in his short but brilliant career, as well as how beloved Tyron Smith was for years, the best player along the Cowboys' offensive line was Martin. He may not have played a more glamorous position of center or offensive tackle, but Martin is every bit the type of offensive guard that ends up with a bronze bust in Canton, Ohio one day. He will be gone.

Either Martin takes the proverbial hometown discount or he will be finishing his pro career elsewhere.