The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott haven’t had much traction on a new contract, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Fowler reported Sunday on SportsCenter the Cowboys want Prescott beyond the 2024 NFL season, but an agreement appears to remain a long way off.
“But their negotiations so far with Dak have been described to me a passive or even nonexistent,” he said. “There really hasn’t been anything going on, so their actions are saying that maybe if they have to sit on his $61 million cap hit this year then figure it out later then they’ll do that. They’ve been fiscally responsible not really spending any money, so they know they have to address this at some point in the offseason.”
Fowler added that “my sense is they need to figure out the [Dak Prescott] situation first” before they turn to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, another free-agent-to-be in 2025.
Fowler’s report aligns with what Prescott told reporters in April. The three-time Pro Bowler said he wants to stick around but alluded to the lack of tangible progress at the bargaining table.
“Honestly, I’m focused on the moment, on the now,” he 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 [team owner Jerry Jones] at this point.”
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott said he has no fears about his NFL future, whether it’s in Dallas or somewhere else pic.twitter.com/VKDVNEqVE8
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 19, 2024
You can’t blame Cowboys fans for feeling a bit anxious.
There was the thought the team would hammer out something with Prescott early in the offseason because lowering his cap hit would’ve unlocked some more spending flexibility. In that respect, there isn’t anywhere near as much to gain from an extension in the short term.
But the longer things drag on the more this becomes a bigger story hanging over the organization and keeps Dallas in a holding pattern. Extending Lamb, for example, is tough when you don’t know what you’re going to be paying your starting quarterback in 2025 and beyond. Looking further down the road, edge-rusher Micah Parsons is extension-eligible and is another player whose next deal is tabled for the time being.
On Lamb, his cost will only continue to climb thanks to the spike in the receiver market. If he were to actually hit free agency, a $35 million annual salary may not be out of the question with what wideouts are getting paid.
Dallas is only making things more difficult for itself with how deliberate the negotiations with Prescott are unfolding.
