Dak Prescott signed a $31.4 exclusive franchise tender with the Dallas Cowboys earlier today, and the two sides have the time to reach a long-term agreement until 15th July.
Prescott And Dallas Have a Temporary Deal
This is, according to many, a temporary deal between the two sides. Both Prescott and the Cowboys want to see a long-term solution done as soon as possible, and they have some three weeks to get it done.
The situation regarding his contract is complicated a lot. He and the team had some negotiations after the season ended, but they were not successful, which is why we saw a pause in talks at some point.
In the meantime, the Cowboys signed Andy Dalton, who will be a backup QB, but knowing his skills and background, we could easily see the new head coach Mike McCarthy filling in Prescott’s spot with the former Cincinnati Bengals’ passer.
It seems that Jerry Jones wanted to use Dalton as leverage, and apparently, that worked. There are some indications that Dallas’ no.4 is now more flexible and wants to discuss the arrangement, trying to resolve all the problematic subjects.
Contract Lenght a The Pivotal Point
The sources from within the league were saying that the main issue in the entire story is the length of the contract. Prescott wants it to be four years, while Jones intends to sign a five-year deal.
That one season is very important because of the salary cap. Four years from now, the NFL will get a new contract for broadcasting rights, which will boost the salary cap, and inject more money than before. Also, Prescott wouldn’t step into his 30th year, and that is some kind of a psychological edge in the negotiations.
Of course, Jerry Jones doesn’t want to allow that, which is why the delay started in the first place.
Prescott Will be Among Top-Paid Players in the League
Almost all the experts are suggesting that Prescott’s new contract will be in a range of $33 to $37 million, which is the biggest figure in the NFL. At the moment, Russell Wilson, who is the highest-paid, has $35 million.
All this could present a major problem for the Cowboys, who already have two massive contracts signed, with the latest one being with Amari Cooper. At some point, the entire situation will create problems in the salary cap.
For Jerry Jones, that shouldn’t be a problem, but still. Dallas has one of the most talented offensive trios in the league, with Cooper as a receiver, Ezekiel Elliot, as the running back and Prescott as the brain of the entire offense.
Last year he had 30 TD passes, and slightly over 4,000 passing yards, but unfortunately, despite him being superb, the Cowboys had 8-8 record and missed the playoffs.
The fans and the management are hoping to see McCarthy creating chemistry and removing all the problematic factors from both the locker room and the team on the field, but in order to make it much easier, Prescott needs to sign. With Dak onboard, the entire atmosphere in Dallas is superb.
