A $30-million contract sat on the table for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and he reportedly opted to decline. The deal would have placed his salary level with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.
The rumor mill is churning and The Athletic’s Michael Lombardi was the first to report the scoop.
If Dak Prescott has turned down an offer in the 30 million per year range, which is what I am hearing, then he is nuts. Not a top-five quarterback
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Dak Prescott Contract Buzz
The Cowboys can ill-afford to watch the player many have dubbed as their franchise quarterback walk next season. In addition, the negotiations could potentially start to get tougher at this point. Prescott is obviously asking for a massive deal which would make him one of the highest, if not the highest-paid quarterback.
There were rumblings earlier in training camp that the Cowboys had extended “generous” offers Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper. But regardless of how generous those offers were, none have accepted them to this point.
Prescott is on his rookie deal and is set to make just over $2 million this season. He could become an unrestricted free agent after this year.
Dak Prescott’s Value
The third-year product out of Mississippi State emerged to grab the starting job for the Cowboys after Tony Romo was sidelined with an injury during Prescott’s rookie year. After being drafted in the fourth round in 2016, Prescott showed instant leadership and turned in a solid first year as a game manager while also showcasing upside.
In the seasons since, Dak has become a more vocal leader and commands the offense like he hadn’t previously. He is now battle-tested and has a multitude of weapons to choose from. Prescott is capable of dominating with his arm and has the ability to take off and run in key moments. The emergence of a quick rapport with Cooper has also been a huge help for Prescott’s game. A full season together could make them brutally tough for any opponent.
Prescott wanting more money than Matt Ryan is a little excessive, given Ryan was a half away from winning a Super Bowl. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly has the money, but Prescott needs one more year with a deep playoff run before he could demand that amount of money. There are plenty of teams that will need a quarterback next season. Unfortunately for Prescott, there will not be many teams lining up to pay him that kind of money. They could use that $30 million on a proven star and not take a risk on the young quarterback. If anyone wants Prescott, it is Jones and the Cowboys. It is just going to cost a little bit more than $30 million.
The Cowboys dropped their first preseason game at San Francisco on Saturday night, 17-9. Prescott saw limited time as expected, while Cooper Rush and Mike White finished the game. Dak went 4/4 passing for 23 yards before being replaced. He did not have a rushing attempt in the game. The Cowboys received nice showings from Devin Smith (3 catches for 54 yards), Blake Jarwin (4 catches for 51 yards), Cedrick Wilson (3 catches for 36 yards), and Jon’Vea Johnson (3 catches for 30 yards).
Michael Gallup had two catches for 19 yards and Tavon Austin caught one pass for five yards. The regular-season starters who played in the game only saw limited action. This should change as the preseason moves forward.
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Dak Prescott Turns Down Cowboys’ Massive Contract Offer [Report]