The Dallas Cowboys and star quarterback Dak Prescott have been engaged in contract discussions for over a year. After watching the Kansas City Chiefs negotiate and sign Patrick Mahomes to a record-breaking extension in months, things aren’t looking promising for the Cowboys.
Latest on Dak Prescott’s contract talks with Dallas Cowboys
When the Dallas Cowboys placed the $31.4 million franchise tag on Dak Prescott this offseason, it set July 15 as the deadline to agree on a contract extension. Now, with the deadline just a week away, it looks increasingly unlikely that a deal will be reached.
According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, both sides haven’t had substantive talks about a contract extension since March.
Among the issues that haven’t been resolved, with both sides sticking to their guns, are the length of the contract and the salary. Prescott is pushing for a four-year extension, a deal that would allow him to hit free agency before his age-30 season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys are determined to sign him to a five-year deal.
The last offer from Dallas, per ESPN, fell short of matching Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s $35 million salary. Instead, the Cowboys were only willing to better Jared Goff’s contract, which gave him $110 million guaranteed.
Both sides still have a week to resolve their differences and hammer out a contract extension, but it now looks increasingly likely that Prescott will play this season on the franchise tag.
What happens if the Cowboys don’t sign Prescott to an extension?
The Cowboys have made it abundantly clear this offseason that they love Prescott and view him as their face of the franchise. In fact, Stephen Jones, the team’s vice president, said the organization is “all in on Dak” and owner Jerry Jones compared him to his son.
Even if he plays out this season on the franchise tag, the Cowboys aren’t expected to let him hit free agency next year. Instead, the club would place the franchise tag on him next offseason, which would put him under contract for $38 million.
It would greatly benefit the organization to get a deal done before the deadline. If not, an MVP-caliber season from Prescott paired with Mahomes’ new contract could lead to the Cowboys paying him even more in future seasons.