While the Pittsburgh Steelers just named Russell Wilson their quarterback for 2024, Mike Florio thinks Dak Prescott could be their quarterback in 2025. Florio speculated about teams that could make a run at Prescott in March if he becomes a free agent, and he placed Pittsburgh on his list.
Florio thinks the team could opt against retaining Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, both pending free agents themselves, and go for a big swing in Prescott. And Florio thinks it could cost less than some think.
“Would they pay Dak market value? Here’s the thing about free agency. Dak could choose to go to a team and a coach for less than market value.
After having Jerry Jones try to persuade him for years to take less than he could get elsewhere, Dak could stick it to the Cowboys by choosing to take less from one of their biggest AFC rivals.”
Prescott wouldn’t be the first player to take less money to play for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers. LB Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh’s biggest-ever free agent prize, passed up larger deals to sign with the Steelers. And WR Brandon Aiyuk seemed comfortable with playing for less money to have a chance to be coached by Tomlin, still the most popular coach in the NFL.
Of course, even a slight discount for Prescott will still require Pittsburgh to back up the money truck. It’s possible Prescott will become the first quarterback to average $60 million per year and, at worst, will be atop the $50 million club. Currently, the highest-paid quarterbacks in APY are Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, and Trevor Lawrence, all sitting at $55 million per year.
Pittsburgh ranked fourth out of seven teams on Florio’s list. The New York Giants, New York Jets, and Las Vegas Raiders were slotted above the Steelers.
Prescott and the Cowboys haven’t seemed to make much headway in contract talks. A potentially icy relationship between Prescott and owner Jerry Jones could be an issue as Dallas’ “all-in” strategy has been to let this season play out. Head coach Mike McCarthy doesn’t have job security as he enters the final year of his contract. In Pittsburgh, Prescott would have no worry about a coaching change or an owner making headlines.
While any speculation about Dak Prescott right now is just gazing at the horizon, the Steelers showed interest in him when he came out of Mississippi State in 2016. They met with him at the Combine, and a scout “camped out” at his Bulldogs’ Pro Day. Since being drafted by Dallas, he’s made one start against Pittsburgh, becoming a rare rookie to take down the Steelers in 2016. That day, Prescott threw for 319 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-30 win. He missed the 2020 matchup due to injury.
But Prescott and the Cowboys are on the schedule this year, facing Pittsburgh in Week 5. By 2025, it’s possible Prescott isn’t just seeing the Steelers every four years. He could be starting for them.
