Former Dallas Cowboys great and NFL Hall of Famer Troy Aikman is not a fan of the team using the franchise tag on Dak Prescott.
In fact, Aikman said recently that it “could have damaging effects” on the ‘Boys.
“I know [Cowboys owner] Jerry [Jones] has talked about wanting to sign him,” Aikman said recently on Sirius XM NFL Radio. “To me it is a no-brainer, you’re right. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened. I’d hate to think what might happen or how Dak might feel if they end up going the franchise tag route. I just don’t think that’s gonna be in the best interest of all parties. Ultimately, I don’t think it’s in the best interest of the Cowboys and it could have damaging effects in my opinion. I’m hoping they get a deal done.”
At this point, it seems like Aikman will have to just wait and see if it really does hurt the team. The latest on the situation is that the Cowboys are, in fact, going to use the exclusive franchise tag this week (worth $31.6 million) to ensure Prescott doesn’t hit free agency.
As noted by Aikman, Jerry Jones has talked a lot about inking Prescott to a long-term deal. He’s been talking about it for well over a year now. But so far, the two sides have not come close to any kind of agreement.
Based on what Prescott has said his goal is when it comes to a new contract, and what the Cowboys have said about setting a new market on new contracts, this thing could drag on for quite some time. It’s going to be fascinating to see if Prescott ends up holding a grudge, should he enter the 2020 season still on the franchise tag.