DE DeMarcus Lawrence says the Dallas Cowboys are going to have to pay QB Dak Prescott
No one on the Dallas Cowboys knows the situation quarterback Dak Prescott is in right now under the franchise tag better than defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence.
Lawrence played under the tag in 2018 and took it personally to prove himself again. He had the tag placed on him again in March of 2019 when the two sides were far apart in contract talks before the Cowboys eventually signed him to a five-year, $105 million contract extension roughly a month later.
The Cowboys have until July 15 to sign Prescott to a long-term deal or he will have to play the season under the tag, which has been reduced from $31.6 to $28 million because of contract restructures.
Prescott has already turned down an offer of at least $34 million annually and possibly as much as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson’s league-league $35 million in part because of contract length, according to sources.
Prescott wants to do a four-year deal. The Cowboys want at least five years to help spread the bonus money and lower salary cap figures throughout the lifetime of the deal.
As of now, the two sides remain at an impasse.
But Lawrence says the Cowboys are going to have to eventually pay Prescott his money, if not this year, then next year after another strong season.
“I feel like Dak is a stand up guy,” Lawrence said. “He knows the situation and what to prepare for. I feel he is the ultimate leader. Understanding his character, I know Dak is going to be ready for this position. When he thrives there is nothing nobody can say. Y’all are going to have him to pay him his money. “
Prescott bet on himself in 2019, playing for $2 million in the final year of his rookie deal after turning down a deal for $33 million annually, and fashioning the finest season of his career.
Lawrence believes he will do it again if necessary, just as he did when he played on the tag in 2017 for $17.1 million and then had a second consecutive double-digit sack season in 2018. After initially getting tagged for $20.5 million in 2019 and refusing to sign it, Lawrence was rewarded with the richest contract in the NFL for a defensive end and the largest annual salary ever in franchise history at $21 million.
He believes Prescott will have the same leverage he had and get the same result.
“All the chips are in his hands,” Lawrence said. “He will do the same. Just having that pressure on you there is only one thing to do that is to achieve. I feel he is going to do that.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
