Getty Dak Prescott with Davante Adams.
Barring a breakout year from either Gardner Minshew or Aidan O’Connell, the Las Vegas Raiders likely don’t have their long-term quarterback on the roster. Minshew has started over 10 games in a season just twice in a five-year career and O’Connell is just a year removed from being a fourth-round pick.
If the Raiders struggle on offense this season, the team could conceivably go all-in on a quarterback in 2025. The most notable quarterback who could be a free agent next year is Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler Dak Prescott.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently went through 2025 NFL quarterback predictions and he floated a “long shot outcome” that sees the Raiders making Prescott the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history.
“Prescott has another huge season, the two sides can’t agree on an extension before March and the Raiders — not the Cowboys — make Prescott the first $60 million-per-year quarterback in free agency,” Graziano wrote in an August 14 column.
Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes last season and finished second in MVP voting. He’ll also only be 32 at the beginning of the 2025 season, which is young for a quarterback. If he were to actually hit free agency, he’d be the most notable quarterback to hit the open market since Tom Brady did in 2020.
Dak Prescott Named Top Free Agent in 2025
Players of Prescott’s stature rarely hit the open market. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler and former Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year-winner in his prime. He currently holds a no-trade clause in his contract and the Cowboys will not be able to franchise tag him, which is likely the reason why he’d be able to be a free agent in 2025.
Gregg Rosenthal of NFL.com listed the top 50 free agents in 2025 and Prescott was atop the list.
“With apologies to post-surgery Peyton Manning, Prescott is poised to be the most attractive free-agent quarterback in history,” Rosenthal wrote in an August 15 column. “He knows it, and it increasingly looks like he plans to test the market.”
If Prescott is available, the Raiders won’t be the only team interested in him. Teams like the New York Giants or Carolina Panthers could make him appealing offers. That’s why it will likely take a record-breaking offer for a team to get him away from the Cowboys.
Do Las Vegas Raiders Have Other QB Options Next Year?
While it’s looking more and more likely that Prescott could test free agency next year, it’s still going to be difficult for the Raiders to add him. There will be a lot of competition for his services and his asking price may be unprecedented.
The next best quarterback who could be a free agent is Justin Fields, who is No. 26 on Rosenthal’s list. If the Raiders are in the market for a quarterback next year but can’t get Prescott, their best hope is the draft.
There should be fewer teams interested in quarterbacks next year after six quarterbacks were selected within the first 12 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft. That should make it easier for the Raiders to trade up if there’s a quarterback they like. The college football needs to happen but Georgia’s Carson Beck and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders should be two quarterbacks that the Raiders watch closely this year.
