Shedeur Sanders, Cowboys QB? May not be as far-fetched as you think

Shedeur Sanders to the Dallas Cowboys remains an intriguing possibility in 2025.

Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Once the Dallas Cowboys wrapped up negotiations with CeeDee Lamb, the attention turned completely to Dak Prescott.

The ninth-year pro is entering the final season of his four-year extension signed in 2021 and the two sides don't appear to be close to finalizing anything.

Prescott has said that the absence of a deal heading into Week 1 "says a lot" and there's speculation that such a situation would lead to his departure. If so, he would bring home the biggest contract in NFL history in free agency.

VIDEO: Jerry Jones, Cowboys should 'consider wanting' Dak Prescott gone, ESPN says

That would be a win for Dak but the Cowboys would still need a new signal-caller.

One name that continually gets linked to them is Shedeur Sanders of Colorado. This idea has gained enough steam that former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum said on ESPN's Get Up that Sanders has a better chance of quarterbacking America's Team in 2025 than Prescott.

"There's a better chance, in my opinion, that Shedeur Sanders could be the quarterback [for the Cowboys] next year than Dak Prescott at this point."

😯 @RealTannenbaum pic.twitter.com/mRaGnnrH2L

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 30, 2024

The one issue that could hold up such a move would be the Cowboys' place in the 2025 NFL Draft.

As long as Prescott is playing for them, they're going to wind up picking in the bottom half of the draft. Sanders, however, is expected to be a top-five selection.

Tannenbaum's answer there is that Dallas could send a couple of first-round picks and possibly CeeDee Lamb to a franchise picking early enough to obtain Sanders. This idea is rather ludicrous since there's no way they're shipping off Lamb after signing him to a $136 million deal.

Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (right) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. / Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Having said that, Dallas dropped the ball by not making a decision on Prescott this offseason. Had they traded him this year, they could have had multiple first-round picks to play with.

Now, they run the risk of losing Prescott and mortgaging their future to replace him. Sanders could very well be a major success in the NFL but he would be far better on a team with all their draft picks rather than one that shipped off several years' worth of affordable, young talent.

Of course, Jerry Jones would probably claim this is the best possible strategy and no one other than himself could have pulled it off.

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