Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys were unable to come to an agreement on a long-term contract this offseason. Many have been highly critical of the NFL team for failing to lock up the face of the franchise. But Cowboys chief operating officer Stephen Jones believes there is no reason to worry and says the organization is still completely sold on its quarterback.
Stephen Jones: Cowboys ‘110 percent’ behind Dak Prescott
Speaking in a recent video interview, Jones communicated that the two sides had no animosity about how things went down.
“We had a great visit with him at the deadline. We pushed to try to have a few more changes here and there to see if we could get it done,” Jones said, per the team’s website. “But he’s got such a great outlook on the Dallas Cowboys, our football team, and he’s ready to go out and win a Super Bowl, which would only create more value for him, more value for the Cowboys.”
Ultimately, the Cowboys will pay Prescott $31.4 million in 2020 after he signed the exclusive franchise tag tender. Things get trickier going forward, because the NFL salary cap is expected to drop in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And if Prescott does, in fact, create more value” as Jones indicated, his cap hit would be even harder to absorb.
Furthermore, if the Cowboys can’t work out a long-term contract with Prescott and have to use the franchise tag again next season, it’ll cost over $37 million, fully guaranteed.
Jones still thinks there is a good chance for the two sides to come to an agreement, however.
“So we’re fired up about it and still have nothing but 100 percent belief in Dak and his future with the Cowboys, and that we can ultimately get a deal done. He’s special. As Jerry and I have said, we are 110 percent behind him, and ultimately feel like we’ll get this done.”
During the interview, Jones confirmed that Prescott does, in fact, want a shorter deal than what the team likes to do. That’s been widely reported and makes sense, as Prescott wants to maximize his value long term. The Cowboys, however, are hoping he will bend and take a team-friendly deal.
So there’s still clearly plenty of work that needs to be done to come to an agreement. And there is plenty of doubt about Prescott remaining in Dallas for the long term among those who cover the league.
Dak Prescott put up career-high stats in 2019
The arrow appears to be pointing up for Prescott. Last season, he blossomed in a big way putting up jaw-dropping stats while leading the Cowboys to a 8-8 record.
Posting career-high stats in most categories, Prescott completed 65.1% of his passes for 4,902 yards with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also added 277 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Should Prescott continue to emerge as a top-tier passer in 2020, his value will continue to swell.