Getty Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones remains confident in Dak Prescott.
There’s nothing Dak Prescott can do that would threaten Jerry Jones The Owner. But the Dallas Cowboys quarterback assured he would never threaten Jerry Jones The General Manager, either.
Cowboys beat reporter Jon Machota raised a fascinating question in his latest piece for The Athletic, a detailed recap of last week’s Organized Team Activities:
Now that Prescott is the highest-paid player in franchise history and the second-highest paid player in the league, in terms of annual average and total guarantees, some would say he deserves to have a say in some of the decisions the organization makes. Reports have surfaced this offseason regarding star quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson wanting more say in some of the decisions made by their teams. Does Prescott feel like he needs that from the Cowboys?
The answer, put simply: No.
“I trust the people around here that have those titles and have those positions to do what they need to,” Prescott said in response. “And I feel like they do ask me and bring me into the loop on things when they feel like they should. We have a great relationship. I don’t want to ever begin to compare what’s going on here in Dallas and how we handle things to other organizations.”
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A New League Trend
The apparent uprising of power consolidation among players began early this offseason when Deshaun Watson attempted to force his way out of Houston. Watson reportedly became disenchanted after the Texans hired a new GM, Nick Caserio, without his prior knowledge/approval. He consequently demanded a trade and hinted at a possible regular-season holdout until he receives his wish.
Bookending Watson’s 2021 storyline(s) has been that of Aaron Rodgers, who many believe will be dealt by Green Bay following June 1. Why? Though he disputes it, the league’s reigning MVP allegedly was enraged after the Packers used last year’s first-round pick on QB Jordan Love — and Rodgers found out during the draft. The future Hall-of-Famer reportedly has told teammates he plans to play elsewhere, and may even retire unless the Packers acquiesce to his desires (in one way or another).
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer spoke to an unnamed NFL GM who explained the difficult process of appeasing star talent while preserving the respect of front-office hierarchy.
“You want players dialed in,” the GM told Breer. “It’s a different business model now. These guys have a lot of power, but there’s not a clear-cut answer. Part of me says be up front with them, tell them the truth, maybe let them in on the interview process for a coach. That’s probably a throwaway to you, but it means a lot to a quarterback, or any player, to have their voice heard and be respected.
“But it’s still a business.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL