As 2019 is in the rear view, Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott has a huge year now to his credentials. Remember, Prescott turned down a lucrative offer from the Cowboys and opted to gamble on himself.
He responded with 4,902 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, and a 99.7 passer rating which was the highest since his rookie year in 2016.
What a franchise tag will mean in the Dak Prescott/Cowboys negotiations via @CBSSports. The exclusive QB franchise tag now projects to $32.509M after Matt Ryan's contract restructure. https://t.co/lAfatXpuH0
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) December 31, 2019
Now, agent Joel Corry writes for CBS Sports that Prescott’s contract situation will be further complicated.
There probably isn’t a deal that can be made without Dallas accepting the reality of the franchise tag dynamic. Prescott seems more willing than most quarterbacks to exploit leverage.
The Cowboys are accustomed to doing lucrative deals where players sign for at least new five years. Prescott is probably pushing for a three or four year deal, so at the latest he would have an expiring contract as a 30 year old and would be better positioned to reap the benefit of the salary cap escalating with the infusion of new TV money. Since the deals Goff, Wentz and Wilson signed this year are four-year extensions, the Cowboys insisting on more new years with Prescott will likely be deal breaker for France.
In short, what a mess for Dallas. Not only are they going to be scrambling for a new head coach, but there is instability at the quarterback position. Typically a spot of direction or leadership for a franchise, the Cowboys instead opted to extend Zeke Elliott and Jalen Smith rather than Prescott.
Now, Prescott has a strong year under his belt and plenty of leverage. The fact that the Cowboys missed the playoffs and went 8-8 matters to only them and their fan base in this situation.
Surprising in all of this is that Prescott wants to break the bank so badly, it may be at the expense of better weapons around him in Dallas. While he has Elliott, the offensive line did not play well in 2019 and needs re-shaping. At some point, a massive contract figure to the quarterback will mean Dallas can’t buy better pieces there.
