3 quarterbacks Raiders can target after Dak Prescott extension ruins their 2025 plan

So I guess that's that. The dream is dead: Dak Prescott signed a longterm extension with the Cowboys on Sunday morning. Before the Raiders even got the chance to make Prescott the highest paid player in NFL history, the Cowboys did what they always do and wrote a check at the last possible moment.

And maybe the Raiders' interest in Prescott was so openly talked about for a very specific and purposeful reason, but when your two quarterbacks are Gardner Minshew and Aidan O'Connell, you're probably fine with keeping that gossip alive. Assuming Tom Telesco and Antonio Pierce are still calling the shots next March – it's the Raiders – they've now got a big ol' pivot on their hands. And why concentrate on the 17 games that we're about to start watching in a few hours when we can daydream about 17 games next year instead? If Telesco and Pierce were interested in JustBlogBaby's advice on what direction to take, here's what we'd say.

3 QB Options to Consider now that Dak Prescott's staying in Dallas

1. Sam Darnold (just hear me out)

Look, I'm not saying they should – I'm just saying they could. Prescott was the only even-remotely intriguing free agent QB next season, so in a way his contract extension actually makes things awfully simple for the Raiders. If Kevin O'Connell and Justin Jefferson turn Darnold into a solid QB over the next four months, he's going to have one of the better markets next March. Otherwise, you're staring at Zach Wilson, Trey Lance, or Taylor Heinicke. That's arguably worse than what the Raiders have going right now, and I'm not sure how Pierce survives running with Minshew/O'Connell/One Of Those Guys in back-to-back seasons. I don't see any world where this happens, but it's important to throw all 15 Sam Darnold Sickos a bone every once in a while.

2. Draft Someone That's Probably Shedeur Sanders

This is the way. The Raiders are going to be drafting somewhere between 1 and 6, which more-than-likely means they'll get a shot at either Sanders, Carson Beck, or Quinn Ewers. And maybe none of them end up being The Guy, but Pierce deserves a shot with his guy, and again, we just got finished talking about Sam Darnold. Not like it really matters, but Sanders has already talked in the past about how he'd like playing for the Raiders, and it does admittedly feel like the fit would be, if nothing else, fun to watch. All the excitement of a new face of the franchise without the $60 million per year price tag isn't the worst backup plan.

3. Kirk Cousins

Maybe I'm just too Logged On for my own good at this point, but I kind of think Cousins is going to be on another team sooner than later. The Penix pick was just so weird, and the moment that Cousins looks like he's no longer a Top 10 QB, the Falcons are going to have A Whole Thing on their hands. If Cousins rebounds enough from his achilles injury to be playable, the Raiders – for better or for worse – just feel like a team that would be fine with paying him $40 million for one season. It's just money! He has a full no trade clause in his deal, so he'd have to sign off on the move – but if they can convince him that Davante Adams/Brock Bowers/A Good Defense is enough to make a few final runs with, I'd argue that's probably better than thinking that Minshew just needs a second year in an offense to really take off.