OXNARD, Calif. — Jerry Jones hasn’t given any thought to the possibility that this is Dak Prescott’s final season in Dallas.
“I do not think that this will be his last year with the Cowboys, at all,” the owner and general manager said Thursday from the team’s annual news conference to mark the start of training camp.
When told of that comment, Prescott responded during his news conference later in the day: “I’m just here so I don’t get fined,” a reference to the line former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch repeated when he didn’t want to be interviewed before the Super Bowl in 2015.
While Prescott started off with a joke, it was clear in the words that followed throughout his 25 minutes at the podium that he is comfortable with the possibility of his ninth NFL season being his final one in Dallas.
Dak Prescott when asked what he says to Cowboys fans who are still frustrated about how last season ended: “Be fans or don’t be fans. If you’re a fan, you’re going to turn the page just as we do, you’re gonna move forward, understanding that you have better ahead of you. …… pic.twitter.com/SKqHdfpEgK
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 25, 2024
Prescott is in the last year of the four-year, $160 million deal he signed in March of 2020. Many thought an extension would have been reached by now. The Cowboys are looking for a team-friendly deal. Prescott is trying to continue being one of the league’s highest-paid players.
Eleven quarterbacks average more per season than Prescott’s $40 million average. Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence average $55 million per season. Jared Goff ($53 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lamar Jackson ($52 million) and Jalen Hurts ($51 million) all average more than $50 million per season. Prescott isn’t getting less than $50 million on his next deal, and it could be closer to $60 million. If it’s not from the Cowboys, it’ll be from another team.
And he seems at peace with that possibility.
“Obviously I want to be here,” Prescott said.
But then he paused.
“I’m going to say it, I want to be here, but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I watched played for other teams,” he said. Star quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre all played for other teams after winning Super Bowls with their original franchises.
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“My point in saying that is that that is not something to fear,” Prescott said. “It may be a reality for me one day. It may not be my decision. That’s the freedom that I have. Be where your feet are, make the most of it, be confident in yourself, make your team better. I love my teammates. I love that locker room. I love everything about being out here in Oxnard and being a Dallas Cowboy, so that’s what allows me to be free and focused and understand that when the time comes, who knows what comes.”
The Cowboys’ franchise has been different than most when it comes to the QB position. If a player becomes the franchise QB for Dallas, they don’t play for another team. Don Meredith, Roger Staubach, Danny White, Troy Aikman and Tony Romo never put on another team’s uniform. Prescott said he has never given that any thought.
“I don’t know if they were in my position, either, (with) the contract holdouts or whatever you call it,” Prescott said. “All things and aspects are different. I don’t ever really look and compare. I can control what I can control and the rest will take care of itself. I don’t look for it, saying, ‘Hey, I’m going to play for another team.’ My feet are here.
“But that has been a reality in this league for a lot of guys. My sense is to control what I can control and that’s making this team better and winning and doing the most that I can to win here, right now. The rest will take care of itself.”
Dak to Jalen Tolbert pic.twitter.com/ZULLYDKiVt
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 25, 2024
Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones is as confident as his father that something will get it done to keep the 30-year-old Prescott in Dallas.
“I think Dak wants to be a Cowboy,” Stephen Jones said. “I’m not speaking for him, but I think he wants to stay here. We just got to figure out economics that work for him.”
He added that they’ve had “great conversations” with Prescott’s agent Todd France. Stephen Jones added that they have exchanged “numerous” contract offers with WR CeeDee Lamb’s representatives, but didn’t say the same about France, meaning the two sides could still be quite a bit apart.
“It’s pretty clear how much we appreciate what Dak Prescott has meant to this team in a positive way,” Jerry Jones said. “Players do play better when he’s out there. He does make his teammates play at a higher level. There’s no question about it. I’m right there in line with his best fan.”
While Jerry Jones might be his biggest fan, the actions speak louder than words. Would things be different if Dallas was coming off a deep playoff run instead of another disappointing playoff loss? It’s hard to believe if Prescott and the Cowboys were fresh off the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in nearly 30 years that Jones would be considering the possibility of his franchise QB playing out the final year of a deal that includes no-trade and no-franchise tag clauses.
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Perhaps the owner and general manager wants to see a little more in January before making another significant commitment. The risk there is what keeps the door open to the possibility of Prescott wearing another team’s jersey next year at this time.
“They’re paying me well for this season,” Prescott said. “I’ve said it before, I have an obligation to the NFL, to the other quarterbacks and to my teammates when it comes to what I get paid and what I accept. That’s where sometimes I leave it to my agents.
“… I’ve been through a lot of adversity personally. It’s about being thankful for where you are, hugging and loving on your loved ones and taking it one day at a time, and handling the rest when it approaches.”
(Photo: Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
