Getty Dak Prescott
Financially, Dak Prescott is unsatiated, still thirsting for the $40 million annually he’s supposedly demanding in ongoing contract negotiations.
Physically and mentally, the Dallas Cowboys‘ franchise quarterback has never been better.
“I feel great,” Prescott recently said, via team insider Mike Fisher of Maven Sports. “I’m in the position I want to be in. I feel the best that I’ve ever felt, from every aspect of the quarterback position going into Week 1.”
Prescott is riding high following his outing in Dallas’ 34-0 curb-stomping of the Houston Texans in Saturday’s preseason affair. As well he should be, having led an impressive scoring drive during his extremely limited action. Prescott completed 2-of-5 passes for 22 yards and a touchdown, hitting Michael Gallup from 13 yards out to open the Cowboys’ scoring frenzy.
Prescott finishes his summer with 11-of-14 completions for 119 yards and the TD. He won’t play in Dallas’ exhibition finale Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium.
“I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones, per Fisher. “He hasn’t done anything but take every challenge physically and mentally so far (in training camp). So he’ll sure do it as the season goes ahead.”
The season begins Sept. 8 at Jerry World against the rival New York Giants, whom Prescott shredded for 387 passing yards and four TDs in the meaningless 2018 finale — a 36-35 win. The scores vaulted him into the NFL record book, as he became the first QB to notch 30-plus wins and 25-or-fewer interceptions in his first three seasons.
Prescott was less explosive but equally efficient in the teams’ first meeting last year, a 20-13 victory in which he threw for 160 yards and a TD on 16-of-25 completions, adding seven rushes for 45 yards.
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Dak Ends Presser Over Zeke Question
Prescott was not in the mood to discuss non-football-related matters Saturday evening. The star passer held his postgame press conference, as usual, after the Texans victory … until a reporter asked about running back Ezekiel Elliott’s month-long-and-counting holdout. Then Dak exited stage left.
“Dak Prescott was asked near the end of his news conference if he reaches out to Ezekiel Elliott about his holdout as the season draws near. Dak looks at Cowboys PR director Rich Dalrymple: ‘You ready to go, Rich?’” The Athletic’s Jon Machota tweeted, noting that Prescott left at this moment.
Prescott Deserves New Deal, Says JJ
The Cowboys and Prescott’s camp continue to haggle on a lucrative extension for the 26-year-old, who’s entering the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million rookie contract, signed in 2016. Prescott, Elliott, wide receiver Amari Cooper, and cornerback Byron Jones are all seeking new deals from Dallas.
Prescott’s reported price tag — $40 million annually — is the steepest of the four and may require the largest salary cap allocation. The Cowboys haven’t (and likely won’t) cave to such monstrous demands, but Jones, so impressed by Prescott’s showing versus Houston, allowed that he’s played himself into a hefty payday.
“A real question a lot of people questioned is whether Dak was one of those guys that needed to be in the top tier,” he said, via the Dallas Morning News.
“I never questioned that. That’s what this showing here is. I don’t think there’s any doubt he’s in the top level of the paid quarterbacks. There is no question in my mind.”
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