Predictions on how contract showdowns like those between Dak Prescott and Ja’Marr Chase will play out

Contract disputes with some of the NFL’s top players and their teams are becoming a major concern. How do we know when to draft them in fantasy football?

Oh yeah, their real-life teams matter, too. The NFL regular season kicks off in just over two weeks, and a trio of big-name receivers haven’t even practiced yet as they await new contracts. How will each of these situations play out? Let’s take a guess at each of the four major matchups, including the NFL’s offensive stars:

Let’s start with Prescott, though he’s not holding back. This isn’t exactly a contentious matchup. He’ll be here Week 1 after working out all offseason. But his looming contract situation is going to be a season-long story if the Cowboys don’t resolve it. It also affects the next player on this list.

Prescott is set to become a free agent next season. You might be a football fan who thinks Prescott isn’t very good, but that would be a mistake. Prescott nearly won the NFL MVP award last season. He has a career passer rating of 99, the fifth-best in NFL history. His career completion percentage of 67 percent ranks fourth all-time. The Cowboys are 73-41 when he enters the regular season. Like it or not, he’s going to get paid.

It appears the Cowboys will be the ones to pay him. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told Yahoo Sports’ Jori Epstein that the Cowboys hope “it’s done before the season starts.” Prescott was more diplomatic about it, telling Epstein that if the Cowboys want to move on, “it’s a deal” and as for the contract, “it has to be done right on my end, too.” It seems like things are moving at a positive pace. It will cost money, but are the Cowboys really going to let their QB go after this season?

Prediction: Prescott signs before season for record fee

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb

There hasn’t been much positive news regarding Lamb’s contract talks. The Dallas Morning News reported that the Cowboys’ contract offers didn’t reach $33 million. Justin Jefferson set the bar at $35 million per season with his contract with the Minnesota Vikings, and the top receivers awaiting new deals are well aware of that.

Lamb is coming off a monstrous 1,749-yard season that puts him on par with Jefferson or very close. Lamb has not practiced while waiting for a new contract. The Cowboys not only have quarterback Dak Prescott and Lamb to worry about, but also pass rusher Micah Parsons, who is about to get a big contract extension (Parsons has practiced as usual). Both believe they deserve to be the highest-paid non-quarterbacks in the NFL, according to Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson. Can the Cowboys really afford to keep all three superstars? It will be very difficult. It’s entirely possible that one will have to be given up, and it’s harder to see how the Cowboys will pay off Prescott and Lamb’s massive contracts before Week 1. If the Cowboys prioritize quarterback and pass rusher over receiver, where does that leave Lamb? Dallas appears to be playing a bit of a waiting game with Lamb. Given that Lamb is already holding out, the two sides seem pretty far apart, and the Cowboys are in a bind with three huge contract extensions coming up, this seems like a situation that could impact Lamb’s status going into the regular season.

Prediction: Lamb misses one regular-season game, like Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones did last season, while awaiting his new contract, which will not be completed this season.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase

Like CeeDee Lamb, Chase can easily point to a precedent. Justin Jefferson, his former college teammate, was making $35 million per season. That’s what elite receivers will want from now on.

Chase may not be as good as Jefferson, who broke multiple records with a blistering start to his career, but he’s close. The Bengals know what Chase should be paid and have had time to prepare for it, so it’s hard to understand why a deal hasn’t been done yet. And it’s getting complicated. Chase is hanging on (he’s attending meetings but not practicing), and Bengals owner Mike Brown has said he’d rather negotiate a deal like this in the offseason. That’s not going to be acceptable to Chase.

Former Bengals receiver Chad Johnson jumped into the fray. He said on ESPN’s Adam Schefter podcast that he thought Chase’s deal would “definitely” be done before the season starts and sometime next week. That made headlines, even though Johnson didn’t appear to have any inside information. Everyone is just looking for a breakthrough in the impasse. For what it’s worth, Johnson was asked if he thought Chase would play in Week 1 if a deal didn’t get done and he said, “Absolutely not, he doesn’t touch the field.”

It shouldn’t be that complicated. The Bengals knew this was coming and they know the market for a receiver of Chase’s ability. This has probably gone on too long already.

Prediction: Chase closes deal days before season begins

The Pittsburgh Steelers should be upset. On August 13, a report surfaced that the Steelers and 49ers had agreed to a deal in broad strokes and that all that was left was getting San Francisco to sign him. And the days have passed. The Aiyuk drama has been brewing for months. The 49ers are still negotiating with Aiyuk, trying to work out a long-term deal. Or they are figuring out how to trade Aiyuk and not take a step back this season. They are a Super Bowl favorite, after all, but that is with Aiyuk on the roster. Aiyuk led them with 1,342 yards last season and would be hard to replace in late August. They wouldn’t be the same team without Aiyuk.

It appears the 49ers seriously considered trading once the market was set by the Steelers and perhaps others like the Patriots, who were allowed to discuss Aiyuk’s contract as he sought a trade. The 49ers don’t want to give up on Aiyuk, and while it’s unclear how they’re going to pay all of their stars — quarterback Brock Purdy is eligible to sign an extension next season — they clearly want to make it happen.

Prediction: Aiyuk, 49ers reach agreement on long-term contract before season begins