The worst drama regarding the Dak Prescott contract situation is the need for even more drama between the two camps. There are no new updates about the negotiations between the three-time Pro Bowler and the Dallas Cowboys. Earning a Second-Team All-Pro selection last season should make it a no-brainer for Cowboys owner and de facto general manager Jerry Jones to offer him a lucrative contract.
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Therefore, without an extension, the Cowboys can either offer him the franchise tag or see him walk away without getting any assets in return. With the Dallas front office seemingly not showing urgency in locking up their quarterback for the long term, ESPN Radio’s Chris Carlin shared on ‘First Take’ that Prescott should pressure the Cowboys to get this done by holding out in training camp:
“He shouldn’t step on the football field until he has one. He absolutely should hold out. Jerry Jones has, for years, hesitated at every turn to pay Dak Prescott.”
Carlin recalled that it wasn’t the first time Prescott had experienced a delay in getting a contract extension. After playing out his four-year, $2.72-million rookie-scale contract, the Cowboys offered him the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons before agreeing to a four-year, $160 million contract extension.
The $40 million annual average is a massive bargain, considering the contracts that some quarterbacks received over the last two offseasons. While postseason success has constantly evaded Dak Prescott, he deservingly played to his deal by bringing the Cowboys to 12-win seasons and playoff berths from 2021 to 2023.
To end his piece, Carlin argues that if Trevor Lawrence and Justin Herbert, two talented quarterbacks who haven’t achieved much, are among the highest-paid players in the position, Prescott must be among their ranks in terms of average per year.
While Carlin advised the former Mississippi State standout to step away from the Cowboys until his extension gets sorted out, Herm Edwards pondered otherwise.
Herm Edwards Offers a Different Perspective on What Dak Prescott Must Do
The former NFL head coach stated that Prescott must gamble on himself and prove he can lead this team to Super Bowl LIX. Doing that for the Cowboys gives him tremendous leverage when the two sides meet at the negotiating table.
“I’m going to disagree in this sense if you’re Dak Prescott. I’m going to bet on myself, actually, and I’m going to go ahead and play because he’s in a great situation with the team that he’s on.”
Dak Prescott has All-Pro talent around him in Dallas. He has 2023 First-Team All-Pro members CeeDee Lamb and Zack Martin, who are also eligible for contract extensions. Guard Tyler Smith earned a Second-Team All-Pro nod, much like Micah Parsons.
Unfortunately, there’s logic behind the Cowboys’ delay in handing out a contract extension to Prescott. He won only two of seven postseason games, and the Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship Game since 1995, the season they won their most recent Super Bowl. I
In comparison, Jared Goff earned a four-year, $212 million extension after leading the Detroit Lions to their first NFC title game since 1991.
Regardless of what happens regarding Dak Prescott’s contract in the coming days, he will still earn a $29 million base salary in 2024. However, he will account for $55.4 million or 21.6 percent of the Cowboys’ salary cap.
