One of the biggest storylines heading into the 2024 NFL season would be Dak Prescott and his contract extension with the Dallas Cowboys. Currently, in the final year of his $160 million – 4-year deal signed in 2021, the QB’s $40 million average is the 10th highest in the league. In a recent media appearance, when quipped on his contract extension uncertainty, Prescott revealed that he doesn’t desire to be the highest paid. But he also wouldn’t be against betting on himself and playing out the year.
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Chad Johnson aka Ocho in the latest episode of Nightcap agreed with Dak’s “betting on himself” sentiment. Chad went on to urge the QB to take the Kirk Cousins route and look for a payday worth his salt. He opined that so much silence and time for an elite QB is simply not done. There is nothing to talk about numbers because the QB market is pretty clear. So the question that Dallas Cowboys should ask themselves is simple – Is Dak their future or not? He suggested,
“You know what I would do honestly? I wouldn’t even want no deal! I wouldn’t even want no deal. I’m going to bet on myself because listen, it doesn’t take all this time for no other quarterbacks when it’s time to get paid and understand what you have. There are no other options right now for the Cowboys. Is he the future or is he not?”
Considering the time taken by Dallas, Ocho believes the QB might not be. Hence he wants Dak to talk to his agent and tell him that he is going to play this season out. Be a free agent post next season, bet on himself, and get the biggest salary possible.
“There’s nothing to be negotiating about. The numbers are the numbers, the market is the market. It ain’t sh*t to talk about. So that’s how y’all feel is how y’all feel. We want to prolong everything you know. If I was Dak, I say you know what I’ll tell my agent, ‘Don’t worry about it’. I’m going to bet on myself and after this season man, go ahead and break the banks somewhere, go ahead and break the bank.”
While Ocho’s sentiments derive from a tried and tested corporate ladder-climbing exercise, Shannon had a much-balanced take. Sharpe wants Dak to introspect and not make any rash decisions for a few million dollars.
Shannon Sharpe Urges Dak Prescott To Ask Himself His Tolerance Level
$50 million a year is an insane amount of money. So is $46 million a year. When you are making this amount of money a year, a few million plus or minus doesn’t make much difference. Shannon understands this and asked Dak to note down his tolerance level. He asked Dak if he wanted $50 million a year, and what the lowest salary he could accept was. Unc explained,
“For me, I get what you’re saying Ocho, but it all depends on how close to the number that I can tolerate. Let’s just say Ocho, I want $50 million a year. Hey, they say you know what Shannon, okay, you want 50 million a year five-year deal we can only get to 46. So tell me what can’t you do with 230 million that you can do with 250 million?”
Sharpe opined that the best deals are the ones where both parties feel like they overpaid or over-delivered. This feeling that both got “played” is when a deal becomes fair. Hence he urged Dak to think with this mentality and have patience.
“Because if you blow 250, you got to blow 230. If you blow 230, you gonna blow 250. So that’s the thing – how close of the number can they get to that I can say you know what I can live with it. Because even swap ain’t no Swindle. Both people got to feel like they getting screwed in order for it to be a good deal Ocho. “
But that doesn’t mean the Dallas Cowboys are doing right with their lack of communication as Ocho opined. Your top player deserves clarity and should be eased off the contract extension burden. Heading into the season with excessive baggage on your QB’s mind isn’t the most ideal thing to do. It will be interesting to see how this season shapes up for the Cowboys.
