NFL Rumors: Dak Prescott problem, Alvin Kamara gone, Ja’Marr Chase leverage play

The 2024 NFL offseason was rife with contract disputes, free agency signings, salary cap casualties, miscellaneous roster cuts, trades, draft picks and training camp practices under the scorching hot sun. 

Most of that is in the past. With the regular season just days away, all that’s left to do now is play football. Across the league, teams are gearing up for the grueling journey to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. Soon, they will see their best-laid plans either fall into place or fall apart. 

While most offseason matters have been resolved, there are a few contract disputes that have spilled over into the regular season. 

Cowboys aren’t sure about commitment to Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys signed wide receiver CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million contract extension, making him the second-highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Now, Lamb’s teammate is attempting to become the overall highest-paid player in history.  

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his four-year, $160 million contract. 

On the “Scoop City” podcast, The Athletic's Dianna Russini said disagreements regarding the length of Prescott’s contract have delayed negotiations.

"The holdup at this point from what I understand is about the years the Dallas Cowboys are willing to commit to,” Russini said. 

While Prescott had made it clear that he wants a long-term deal, the Cowboys are weighing whether or not they want to commit to Prescott for “longer than two, three, four years.”

The Cowboys have mismanaged Prescott’s contract, which has given the veteran quarterback all of the leverage in negotiations. Prescott has a $55.1 million salary cap hit, second-highest in the NFL. The large figure has allowed Prescott to effectively hold the team hostage by restricting Dallas from making any significant offseason acquisitions.

Along with featuring a no-trade clause, Prescott’s contract also restricts the Cowboys from using the franchise tag designation on him. Without a new deal, he would be guaranteed to become a free agent next offseason. 

Alvin Kamara seems ready to leave the Saints

New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara has made it clear he’s not happy with his current contract. 

Kamara left the Saints’ facility before a minicamp practice in June due to a contract dispute. He participated in training camp, but the two sides were unable to make any progress toward a new deal. 

With the regular season just days away, Kamara is no longer interested in negotiating an extension with the Saints. The 29-year-old running back recently listed his New Orleans home for sale, and he told reporters on Monday that it’s too late for a deal to get done.

“It’s too late for contract talk,” Kamara said. “I’m at the point where I’m … not even talking about until after the season. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kamara is entering the third season of his five-year, $75 million contract extension. Although he still has two years remaining on the deal, there is no guaranteed money remaining after this season. Coupled with his $29 million cap hit in 2025, this season is effectively the last year of his contract. 

Bengals will need Ja’Marr Chase against Chiefs

For the past few years, the Cincinnati Bengals had the luxury of fielding one of the league’s best wide receiver tandems for pennies on the dollar. 

Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have both been on rookie contracts that combined for an average annual value of just $9.8 million. In 2023, that combined figure would rank No. 33 among all wide receivers, just ahead of JuJu-Smith Schuster.

The Bengals were unable to win a Super Bowl championship despite the cheap contracts, and the window is slamming shut. Higgins is currently playing under a franchise tag designation that will earn him $21.8 million in 2024, while Chase is embroiled in contract negotiations with Cincinnati. 

Chase has not participated in training camp, and all signs indicate that he will continue his holdout into the regular season. Cincinnati is just a few days away from their season opener against the New England Patriots, and they may have to play the game without their best receiving threat. 

While they should be able to beat New England, the Bengals are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs in a crucial Week 2 matchup that could ultimately determine playoff seeding. 

During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Chase could use the significance of the Week 2 game as leverage to get a deal signed. 

“The key thing here is the Bengals play the Chiefs next week in Week 2,” Schefter said. “And that becomes, to me, a real leverage point for Ja’Marr Chase because if somehow, someway he’s still not practicing, not playing in that game against that team, that impacts your ability in a game that could very well have seeding ramifications later in the season. So, there’s a lot riding on this. Both sides know it. Both sides are going to work to get it done, but it is a tricky deal to get done. My guess is somehow they figure it out.”

Playing a postseason game against the Chiefs at home would be much easier than playing at Arrowhead Stadium, which is arguably the loudest stadium in the NFL. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has amassed 1,001 more passing yards in home games than he has in away games, which suggests that the noise and environment of road stadiums affects the Cincinnati offense. 

Burrow has a 16-9 record (.640) while playing at home and a 9-9-1 record (.500) on the road.