Dak Prescott and Dallas Cowboys ‘not close’ to new contract

The Dallas Cowboys and Dak Prescott still have until July 15th to agree on a new deal.

News broke yesterday afternoon regarding the ongoing contract saga between the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott. According to the Dallas Morning News, a source told Cowboys’ beat writer Calvin Watkins that the two sides are ‘not close’ to an agreement. The respective camps have until 3pm on Wednesday to come to terms, but at this point, it’s probably safe to assume that Prescott will certainly play under the one-year, $31.4 million franchise tender.

This isn’t a bad thing. I had no expectations of a deal getting done even after they announced that Prescott had signed the tender. What it does indicate, however, is that the Cowboys are at a crossroads with their signal caller. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the team has taken a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the coming season.

It’s a gamble on all fronts, really. Prescott will continue to bet on himself that his career-high totals for passing yards and touchdowns last year were not a fluke. The Cowboys, for their part, will use this season as the ultimate measuring stick on whether or not they believe their quarterback is the one to lead them to a championship.

But here’s where I think Dak has a leg up on his team’s front office: new head coach Mike McCarthy. Barring a complete catastrophe, I just don’t see a scenario in which Prescott takes a step back under his new boss. The way the offense is constructed does not portend a regression to the mean. In fact, even if Prescott puts up a campaign similar to last year, I seriously doubt his price goes down.

More from Dallas Cowboys

• Dallas Cowboys Linebackers: 2023 Position Overview
• Ballhawk University: Why the Cowboys will be takeaway leaders
• Dallas Cowboys Player to Watch: Sleeper TE John Stephens, Jr.
• Dallas Cowboys: The impact of Micah Parsons and a well-rounded secondary
• Dallas Cowboys still unsure about their left guard position for 2023

There’s also the recurring pattern of the Cowboys grandstanding and going on and on about how they’re not going to set the market only to turn around and do just that. We need look no further than the Ezekiel Elliott negotiations from last year. In the end, Jerry and Stephen Jones broke down and gave Elliott exactly what he wanted–and exceeded the NFL running back market. We’d be fools to think that Prescott’s camp doesn’t think about that every time Dak’s agent’s phone rings and it’s the Joneses on the other line. Comparatively speaking, Prescott’s been a saint when compared to Elliott, in terms of his off-the-field behaviors. The thinking has to be, “Hey, where’s our cut?!”

It’s for this reason that I don’t think there’s an excessive measure of greed in Prescott’s camp as some fans prefer to squawk. Sure, he wants to get paid the maximum, but I’m sure he also notes the front office’s past history and wants what he feels is his fair share. It just so happens that in this case, the “fair share” involves the most high-profile position for the richest franchise in all of pro sports. Face it, the Cowboys print their own money. That’s not lost on anyone in this equation.

The Cowboy offense has the potential to put up video game numbers this fall, and Dak Prescott will be in the driver’s seat of that race car. If he performs to his potential, the Dallas Cowboys are simply costing themselves more money and more headaches down the line. I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: get Dak signed. In two years, that contract will be a bargain.

• Published on 07/13/2020 at 11:01 AM
• Last updated at 07/13/2020 at 06:40 AM