The salary cap won’t allow it, Arch isn’t declaring, and the Cowboys have no realistic path to make it happen—even if they wanted to.

Cam Newton made headlines with a recent claim: if Dak Prescott doesn’t lead the Dallaa Cowboys to the NFC Championship Game this season, Dallas should move on—and go all in for Arch Manning.

On every level—financial, practical, and logical—it’s pure wild fantasy.

Let’s start with the money.

Prescott isn’t entering a standard contract year. He’s entering Year 1 of a brand-new extension that’s already been restructured to push some of his money into later years. The financial implications of cutting or trading him are staggering.

A post-June 1 cut in 2025 would cost the Cowboys over $90 million in dead money. Even waiting until 2026 only drops that number to $74 million.

Trading Dak post-June 1 in 2026 could still carry a $34–$90 million hit depending on timing.

In plain terms: the Cowboys are tied to Dak until 2027.

Now let’s talk Arch Manning.

He’s not planning on entering the NFL Draft in 2026. He’s said it, his family has hinted at it, and Texas insiders all echo the same thing: Arch plans to stay with the Longhorns for two more years.

That would make him eligible in 2027—at the absolute earliest.

And even if, in a wild twist, Arch Manning wins a national title and Heisman this year and decides to declare for the 2026 draft—how would Dallas go about getting him?

Newton’s scenario assumes a playoff team will magically land a top-three pick in a stacked draft. That’s not how this works. The Cowboys would need a full-blown collapse, a historic trade package, or both.

In short? There is no timeline, financial scenario, or football logic that supports Cam’s hypothetical. … and it’s a shame that ESPN provides a forum to “experts” so lacking in basic information.

But we suppose …

It’s the NFL’s quietest time of year. And in the silence, sometimes the loudest takes make the least sense.