Getty Dak Prescott
Troy Aikman isn’t saying never on the Dallas Cowboys replacing Dak Prescott this offseason, as has been speculated.
But he’s close.
“Well, I wouldn’t rule anything past Jerry. I say that as a compliment,” Aikman said in a recent radio interview, via InsideTheStar.com. “I think he’s always trying to figure out what they can do or how he might be able to do something that will give them a chance. But I don’t see Dak not playing in Dallas… Going back to what we were talking about with Brady and Tampa Bay, it just reiterates the importance of that position.”
Prescott’s still-unresolved future — an impending free agent, he’s expected to draw the franchise tag for a second straight year if a long-term deal cannot be arranged — has prompted various off-the-wall trade scenarios involving star QBs Matthew Stafford, who was dealt to the Rams on Saturday, and Deshaun Watson, who remains likely to be moved by Houston.
The Lions landed, among other capital, two first-round picks and QB Jared Goff in their trade of Stafford. The reported price for Watson is even steeper: two firsts, two seconds, and two young defensive starters. And that’s just to get the conversation going.
Aikman, however, has held firm to his belief that Prescott will be retained, one way or another, by a front-office that continues to further its intention of locking down the two-time Pro Bowler. The former Cowboys great and current FOX broadcaster pointed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers an as example of a win-now club requiring more than competent quarterbacking.
“Dallas has that guy in Dak and now it’s just a matter of him staying healthy,” Aikman said. “But there’s a lot of other parts to it. There are a lot of things that go into being successful. I’ve said it before, I just don’t think you can come up that short that many times and say that — and this is any organization — and say we’re doing it the right way. I think you have to look at things really, really hard. You may conclude that Tampa really didn’t do anything. I don’t know. But it does get everybody’s attention when you see a team like them bring in Brady and kind of stay the course with Bruce Arians.”
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Jimmy Hammers Cowboys Over Handling of Dak
Hall-of-Famer Jimmy Johnson took almost a threatening tone when asked about Prescott’s contract situation, and its lack of resolution.
Appearing on the Rich Eisen Show on Friday, the Cowboys legend chastised the organization (read: Jerry and Stephen Jones) for its failure to lock down the cornerstone quarterback — an egregious misstep that, Johnson chafed, has cost them millions.
“They need to get him signed! They should have given in to the four-year deal last year. Would have saved them some money. They wanted five years. But they’ve got to get him signed,” Johnson said, via Blogging The Boys. “And not only is he an outstanding quarterback, he’s not Patrick Mahomes, but he is an outstanding quarterback and on top of that he is a great leader. Leader for that football team. So they need to get him signed. And the other thing is, until you find somebody better, you don’t ever give up a quarterback.”
“…They should have signed him three years ago. They should have signed him two years ago. They should have signed him, you know, last offseason. And every time they did not sign him, the price just kept going up. But they need to get it done.”
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Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL