Dallas Cowboys remain committed to Dak Prescott; Andy Dalton wants a starting job
Andy Dalton believes he proved to the rest of the NFL that he still has what it takes to be a starting quarterback.
If he does, it likely won’t be with the Dallas Cowboys.
Vice president Stephen Jones squashed any talk of the team considering him as a viable cheaper option as the quarterback for the future.
Jones said the Cowboys appreciated Dalton’s service and play in place of the injured Dak Prescott, especially behind a battered offensive line. Dalton led the team on a three-game winning streak to remain in playoff contention before Sunday’s 23-19 loss to the New York Giants.
But the Cowboys remain unwavering in their commitment to Prescott as their quarterback.
“This is Dak’s football team,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Monday. “We’re very committed to getting Dak signed. We’d love to have Andy back but [he] understands what the situation is. It’s Dak Prescott’s football team.”
Jones said the Cowboys learned again that high-level quarterback play is the key to consistently making the playoffs. That was the case around the league this season and it has been the formula for years, he said.
“That’s why we’ll continue to work so hard to get him signed long term and get him back at the wheel in terms of this being his team,” Jones said.
Jones said the combination of Prescott, coach Mike McCarthy and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore can deliver that consistency.
The Cowboys signed Moore to a three-year contract extension to keep him from pursuing a head coaching opportunity at Boise State, his alma mater.
But getting Prescott signed won’t be as easy. He played the 2020 season under the franchise tag of $31.4 million because the two sides couldn’t reach a deal last offseason.
The Cowboys can begin talks with Prescott now though nothing can be signed until the beginning of the new league year in March.
The uncertainty of the 2021 salary cap, which was expected to be $175 million but now could come in higher, clouds an impending deal, as do the issues that caused the initial impasse.
Prescott wants a four-year deal and the Cowboys want a five-year deal or longer to help with the salary cap.
And then there is the matter of Prescott’s rehab from a fractured ankle that caused him to miss the last 11 games of the season, though he is expected to make a full recovery.
Prescott’s stock remains high as he was on pace to shatter the NFL’s single-season record for passing yards before the injury.
And his absence proved telling. The team averaged 31.5 points per game and 407 passing yards per game with Prescott, compared to 21.3 ppg and 205.5 pypg without him.
There is no question Prescott will be on the roster in 2021, but it’s up to the Cowboys to make it work.
Look for them to use the franchise tag again, guaranteeing him a salary of $37.7 million, until a new deal can get done.
As far as Dalton is concerned, the former TCU star said he enjoyed his time with the Cowboys but admits he has some decisions to make in free agency after playing in 2020 on a one-year, $3 million deal. He was 4-4 as a starter with 14 touchdown passes and eight interceptions.
“Yeah, I’ll talk with Mike and Kellen and everybody after the season here in the next few days and weeks, Dalton said. “We’ll see what happens.
“Absolutely, I feel like I can play, and I feel like I can help a team win. Hopefully, with the film that I put out this year, people see that and value me in that way. I obviously feel like I still got a lot of good football left, and we’ll see how it all plays out.”
This story was originally published January 4, 2021 at 5:21 PM.
