The Dallas Cowboys failed to get star quarterback Dak Prescott signed to a long-term contract this offseason and may ultimately pay the price.
Former NFL scout and Cowboys employee Bryan Broaddus, who is currently doing radio for 105.3 The Fan, had an interesting report about Prescott on Friday. He spoke with a former Cowboys coach who thinks Prescott wants to move on after being “hurt by the front office” this year.
Remember, the big hang-up in contract negotiations between Prescott and the ‘Boys wasn’t necessarily money. Instead, it was the length of the deal, as Prescott wanted a four-year contract while Dallas wanted to lock him up for five years.
There could be more to all this than money, too. Broaddus also reported that the same former Cowboys coach shared that Prescott “was disappointed that [Jason] Garrett was relieved of his job.”
Dak Prescott could be a free agent in 2021
Ultimately, Prescott signed his franchise tag tender, which will pay him $31.4 million fully guaranteed in 2020. Should the Cowboys fail to sign him to a long-term deal after the season, he could become a free agent in 2021.
The biggest reason that’s a likely scenario is two-fold:
- The NFL salary cap is expected to drop in 2021 from $198 million this year to a floor of $175 million.
- Prescott will earn around $37 million on the franchise tag in 2021 if Dallas used it again.
The increase in Prescott’s price tag, combined with a drop in salary cap, could absolutely lead to the quarterback hitting the open market.