The Cowboys have made clear publicly they believe in Dak Prescott as their franchise quarterback long term. They also have indicated that they could let him play out his contract, which expires after this season.
Owner Jerry Jones said again Tuesday that it is the quarterback’s presence for 2024 that gives him hope the Cowboys could be better this season despite their free agency losses.
“He is willing to do everything he can to help us win,” Jones said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, “and so we are where we are. We have our contract, locked and loaded for this year. We can see as we move along how we are thinking, inclusive of everybody, including Dak. We’ll see what we do. I don’t have anything to report today.”
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media used part of the quote with a “breaking news” banner, citing sources, that Prescott is expected to play on his current contract for 2024.
The Cowboys then took the unusual step of responding publicly, with team website employee Nick Harris replying to Rapoport on X: “Per the team, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys have had extension discussions but it is ‘not a pressurized situation for either at this point.’ The door remains open for a deal to get done this offseason or during the 2024 season, but there is no urgency as of now.”
The sides have been cooperative and collaborative in their dealings.
The Cowboys converted a $5 million roster bonus into a signing bonus earlier this month, reducing Prescott’s cap number by $4 million for 2024. He still has a $55.445 million cap hit, which kept the Cowboys mostly quiet in free agency, and the team added two additional void years through 2028.
If the Cowboys don’t sign Prescott to an extension, and the team lets him walk in free agency in 2025, the quarterback still will count $40.460 million in dead money against the team’s cap.
Prescott has owned — and maintained — leverage in contract talks since back-to-back franchise tags eventually led to a four-year, $160 million deal he signed in 2021.
Prescott has no-trade and no-tag clauses, so letting him play out his contract could lead to his departure in 2025. The Cowboys seem content to see what this year brings.
In 2023, Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and finished second in MVP voting behind Lamar Jackson and was second-team All-Pro. But he is 2-5 in the postseason, with two home losses in the wild-card round over the past three seasons.
The Cowboys, of course, haven’t played in the NFC Championship Game since 1995 when Troy Aikman was leading them to their third Super Bowl of the 1990s.
