Cowboys Send Message to Dak Prescott Amid ‘Challenging’ Negotiations

The Dallas Cowboys are working to keep quarterback Dak Prescott around long-term but admit that handing him a lucrative new contract could create some issues.

The Cowboys are in a unique situation, with three key players — Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons — all in contract talks. The three stars could potentially reset the market for their positions.

“We’ve got a challenging situation. It’s a good situation to have, but it’s challenging when you have one of the top quarterbacks in the league and two of the best non-quarterback players in the league in Micah Parsons and CeeDee Lamb,” Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones said on “The Doomsday Pod” on Thursday, August 8. “It’s a negotiation that we’re having to work hard at. At the end of the day, you want to put some other players [on the field]. Those three guys can’t go out and play the game by themselves. We’ll continue to work at it.”

As a quarterback, the decision with Prescott carries the most impactful financial implications. Prescott is entering the final year of the four-year, $160 million extension he signed with the Cowboys in 2021. He will be a free agent next offseason without a new deal and would command top dollar if he performs similarly to his most recent season.

Prescott topped the NFL in completions (410), completion percentage (69.5%) and touchdown passes (36), amassing 4,516 passing yards.

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Cowboys See Dak Prescott as ‘Partner’

The case against Prescott has been his lack of success in the postseason. He’s just 2-5 in playoff games. The Green Bay Packers upended the Cowboys in the Wild Card after winning 12 games in the regular season for a third consecutive year.

Jones hinted at Prescott potentially taking less on his next deal to help the Cowboys build a strong championship contender around him.

“As you continue to push money out on these quarterback salaries, that money pushed comes back home to roost,” Jones said. “We look at it like Dak’s our partner in this. We’re trying to win a championship. No one wants to win a championship more than Dak Prescott — I can assure you that. And we don’t look at it like we’re trying to, you know, pay him not to go somewhere else.”

Prescott will have multiple suitors if he hits free agency and avoids major injury this season. The top of the market in annual value is currently $55 million per season, with Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence, Packers passer Jordan Love and Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow all earning that number.

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Dak Prescott Addresses Idea of Leaving Cowboys

Prescott has said publicly that he has no intention of taking a discount on his next deal. He feels like he has that duty to himself and other passers around the league.

“I’m a guy that grew up with two older brothers,” Prescott said on Friday, August 2. “You understand what a brotherhood means, not only for just this team but the fraternity of the NFL and the players. The money is out there and the money can happen. It can be done. There’s ways to make everything work for both ways. That’s in that sense it’s always about pushing the envelope for the next man.”

Prescott understands his situation. He also realizes this could be his final season sporting a star on the side of his helmet. That reality doesn’t scare Prescott, and he’s not sweating the contract talks.

“I’m going to say it: I want to be here, but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I watched played for other teams,” Prescott said on July 25. “My point in saying that is that, that is not something to fear. It may be a reality for me one day. It may not be my decision.”

The Cowboys open preseason play on August 11 against the Los Angeles Rams. Prescott is not expected to play.

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