Getting Dak Prescott a new contract should be Dallas Cowboys’ top focus this offseason
Now that the Dallas Cowboys have hired coach Mike McCarthy and he is going about the business of assembling his staff, the biggest focus of the offseason is clear: sign franchise quarterback Dak Prescott to a contract extension.
That is the word from the highest level of the Cowboys organization and it is co-signed by McCarthy.
“We’ve got to land the plane and get his deal done,” vice president Stephen Jones said on multiple radio interviews recently.
Jones said McCarthy thinks Prescott is a top-caliber quarterback.
“We can do everything we want to do and more with Dak,” Jones said.
The Cowboys had the same plans heading into last offseason, but they were unable to reach an agreement with Prescott and his agents.
According to sources, they came close to a deal in September that would have paid Prescott roughly $33 million annually but things broke down when the fourth-year signal-caller and the Cowboys got off to a hot start.
Although the Cowboys finished 8-8 record and didn’t make the playoffs Prescott had a career year. He passed for 4,902 yards and 30 touchdowns, both career highs and ranking second and fourth in the NFL in both categories.
He acquired as a fourth-round pick in 2016 before fashioning the finest rookie season in NFL history.
The Cowboys understand Prescott’s price tag is not going down but they know a deal must get done.
“He deserves everything he has coming,” Jones said. “We got real, real, real close there to start the season and just didn’t get it finished up. He’s so laser-focused on wanting to win football games and compete that he really didn’t want the distraction once we didn’t get it done in that first week of going back and forth with the contract. We just got to move forward. He’s our quarterback of the future. I’ll take him any time when you go to war against these guys. We’re fortunate to have him.”
The Cowboys will place the franchise tag on Prescott if they can’t get a deal done. It will cost them $32.9 million in 2020.
While that would ensure Prescott’s control through next season, it would not guarantee his participation in the offseason program, mini camp or training camp.
And with a new coach installing a new offense, it’s imperative for Prescott to be at all team activities and be available for McCarthy’s famed quarterback schools. The Cowboys can start their offseason program April 6.
So that puts even more pressure on Stephen Jones and the Cowboys to get a deal for Prescott.
“We have to do everything we can to land the plane and get the contract done,” Jones said.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 5:47 PM.
