If the Dallas Cowboys want to keep Dak Prescott beyond this season, they are going about it in a very strange way
Appearing on the Saturday morning episode of SportsCenter, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said the Cowboys have been “pretty passive” in contract talks with their star quarterback:
“I was told from a source with the team that the notion that the Cowboys don’t want to keep Dak Prescott beyond 2024, when he’ll be a free agent the next year, is false, that they still believe in him firmly. They want him long-term, but I would describe their pursuits at a contract extension so far as pretty passive. He’s got a $61 million cap hit this year, he’s got dead money next year, so he’s got a lot of leverage. So this will play out eventually, but they are committed to spending money, trying to re-sign some of their guys, Dak included.”
The Cowboys’ offseason has been heavily criticized thus far due to the lack of activity in free agency. They were the last team to sign an external free agent when Eric Kendricks received a one-year deal on March 13.
Kendricks remains the only external free agent signed by the Cowboys. They have lost eight players, including Dorance Armstrong, Tyler Biadasz, Tyron Smith, Tony Pollard and Jonathan Hankins. Michael Gallup, Stephon Gilmore and Jayron Kearse are still available.
There was an assumption Prescott would either restructure his current deal or sign an extension to lower his 2024 cap hit, allowing the Cowboys to have more flexibility to add players in free agency.
The Cowboys did restructure his deal on March 18 by converting a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus and adding two void years to his contract, clearing $4 million in cap space.
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told reporters on March 14 they’ve had talks with Prescott about a new deal. Prescott has expressed confidence an extension will get done at some point.
But the longer this situation drags out, the more leverage Prescott gets. His current deal includes a no-tag clause that allows him to become a true free agent next offseason.
Be the first to comment