While both the Cowboys and Dak Prescott once expressed optimism in a long-term extension, there hasn’t been any recent progress in negotiations. The Cowboys previously declared that they weren’t going to let their franchise QB hit free agency, but with owner Jerry Jones drawing an apparent line in the sand, it’s no longer a guarantee that Dak is playing in Dallas in 2025.
The quarterback acknowledged the fact that the 2024 campaign could mark his final season in Dallas. While speaking with reporters on Friday, Prescott at least hinted that he could hit free agency following the upcoming season.
“I’m not going to say I fear being here or not. I don’t fear either situation, to be candid with you,” Prescott said, via NFL.com’s Coral Smith. “I love this game and love to play and love to better myself as a player and my teammates around me. Right now it’s with the Dallas Cowboys, it’s where I want to be, and that’s where I am, and that’s the focus. And after the season we’ll see where we’re at and if the future holds that. And if not, we’ll go from there.”
Entering the final season of his four-year, $160M contract, Prescott could push for a new deal that’s close to $60M per year. Jones has previously complained that the growing QB contracts limit spending elsewhere on the roster, and it sounds like the owner/GM is hoping Prescott will end up taking a slight discount on his next deal. With the QB market now beyond the $50M AAV mark, it’s uncertain how much money the Cowboys would look to save on the veteran’s next deal. Prescott seems to be somewhat open to a discount.
Yeah, no, I’m not trying to be the highest paid, necessarily,” he said. “So I’ll wait till negotiations begin, and obviously want to put this team in the best situation.”
Prescott did confirm that he’s had talks with Jones and the Cowboys front office, but those conversations didn’t necessarily revolve around specific numbers. It’s uncertain if either side would be interested in continuing talks into the regular season, but the quarterback has made it clear that he’ll soon be entirely focused on the 2024 campaign.
“Honestly, I’m focused on the moment, on the now,” Prescott said. “If the talks begin and real talks get to happen, sure, we can talk about getting that done, but in this case right now I’m worried about getting better, being better than I am at this moment. So leaving that up to my agent and Jerry at this point.”
In addition to Prescott, the Cowboys are also hoping to extend linebacker Micah Parsons and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, a pair of contracts that will further soak up the team’s financial wiggle room. The Cowboys won’t have the ability to franchise tag Prescott after this season, and considering the impending financial implications of a QB extension, the organization will surely be focused on completing that deal first.
