It’s been 15 years since the Dallas Cowboys last raised the Lombardi trophy. Over the past decade, Dallas has played in only five playoff games. The Cowboys are desperate to field a Super Bowl winning team. Jerry Jones has a major task this off-season; to determine the future of starting quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott has played 64 games, compiling a winning record of 40-24 and has thrown for more 15,000 yards. But Prescott is only 1-2 in his three playoff starts. This is Jones’ conundrum. On paper, Prescott has become a franchise quarterback who has earned a contract commensurate with other top starters in the NFL. But is Prescott elite? Does he deserve the same contract terms as Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, or, in the near future, Patrick Mahomes? The answer is, not really. With both sides at an impasse, Jerry Jones seemingly added more drama to the contract talks in Big D. The Cowboys signed former Cincinnati Bengals starter Andy Dalton to an incentive laden contract earlier this month. Dalton could make what was a simmering quarterback controversy an all-out war.
Dak Prescott Contract Talks Have More Drama After Andy Dalton Signing
The Cincinnati Bengals effectively ended the Andy Dalton era when they drafted LSU quarterback Joe Burrow first overall in the virtual NFL Draft in April. Dalton compiled a winning record over his nine-year career in Cincinnati. Dalton also led the Bengals to 10 or more wins four times and played in four playoff games. He immediately became a hot commodity around the league upon his release. The New England Patriots were even linked to the “Red Rocket.” So why would a healthy, winning quarterback in his thirties sign a one-year contract worth only three million dollars guaranteed to be a backup? The answer is Jerry Jones must have convinced Dalton he’ll take a significant number of snaps during the upcoming NFL regular season.
Dalton could earn as much seven million for the season if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl while he takes 35% of the team’s regular season snaps, according to ESPN, as reported by USA Today. Dalton called his signing with the Cowboys, “the best opportunity for this year.” Are Jones and his son Stephen expecting Dak Prescott to hold out during the regular season games if a long-term deal isn’t reached by the July 15 deadline? Are the Cowboys finally fed up with Prescott’s contractual demands and have now given Dalton a one-year audition to be the next Cowboys franchise quarterback because they don’t expect Prescott to be their long terms answer at quarterback? Skip Bayless, the polarizing co-host of Skip and Shannon: Undisputed on Fox Sports 1, believes Dalton gives Jerry Jones some leverage in the negotiations with Prescott. Bayless may be controversial, but he covered the Cowboys for over a decade for both the Dallas Times Herald and Dallas Morning News. He still knows Big D.
Current State of Negotiations
The Prescott-Dallas dance has gone on for more than a year with no end in sight. But, the Cowboys bought themselves sometime in March. They officially placed the franchise tag on Prescott in March. The Dallas move secures Prescott’s rights and prevents another team from negotiating with him directly. Dak Prescott and Big D now have until July 15 to work out a long-term deal. If a long term deal isn’t reached by then, Prescott can sign his offer sheet and earn approximately $33 million for the 2020-21 season. Or Prescott could press his luck and sit out the season. From all indications, both sides want to agree to a long-term contract. The Cowboys would gain salary cap relief by spreading out Prescott’s guaranteed money and signing bonus over the term of the contract. Prescott would get peace of mind and the chance to negotiate for a higher annual contract.
How Much Money Is on the Table?
Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News previously reported the Cowboys offered Dak Prescott a deal worth $33 million annually with $105 million guaranteed. ESPN reported Prescott was offered a deal closer in terms of Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff contract. So why hasn’t Prescott signed? Prescott reportedly wants $35 million annually and a shorter overall contract. The former fourth-round pick sees how much salaries continue to rise at the position so he’s seeking a shorter four-year contract that would allow him to become a free agent at age 30.
The 26-year old posted a strong 2019 season with 4,902 passing yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs. Prescott also led the number one offense in the NFL in yards from scrimmage. But Jerry Jones is stubborn. He pushed Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott to the brink of a holdout last season before signing him to the largest contract ever given to a running back. Jones also allowed Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith to miss the first two games of the regular season in 1993 during his contract dispute.
It’s too early to predict how the Dak Prescott-Dallas Cowboys contract talks will end. But the Andy Dalton signing adds a lot of fuel to an already simmering fire in Big D.
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