The deadline for franchise players to reach a multi-year deal with their teams is Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET, but it seems that Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys may not.
According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys “aren’t close” to signing a long-term deal with their quarterback.
The situation could change before the July 15 deadline, but a source said Sunday afternoon that the Cowboys are nowhere near reaching a multi-year contract with QB Dak Prescott. It would enter the 2020 season with a $ 31.4M franchise tag if there is no deal before the deadline.
– Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) July 12, 2020
Prescott, 26, was tagged by the Cowboys in March, and signed the tender in June. That keeps him in Dallas for 2020 with a salary of $ 31.4 million, but the Cowboys want to lock him up for the foreseeable future, not just next season. Prescott also seems to want a long-term deal, but the two sides reportedly disagree on what that deal should look like.
The reported problem is not the money, but the years. According to the Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys are offering a five-year contract, while Prescott will only go up to four years.
As for money, the Cowboys don’t seem to be making fun of him. Via the Dallas Morning News:
A source said the Cowboys offered Prescott a contract that would be Russell Wilson’s second ($ 35 million) in terms of average salary per year. The Cowboys also presented Prescott with a deal that would exceed the most guaranteed money for a quarterback. The Rams’ Jared Goff has the most guaranteed money in the NFL at $ 110 million.
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are reportedly not close to signing a long-term deal. (Photo by Tom Pennington / Getty Images)
For Prescott, $ 35 million a year makes sense. He’s good, he threw 30 touchdowns and a personal record of 4,902 yards in 2020, but no better than Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. And beating Jared Goff in guaranteed money seems like a pretty sweet deal, but only if Prescott values money more than years. If four years is the maximum you want to sign, more guaranteed money will not change that.
It is not the end of the world for Prescott or the Cowboys if they do not reach an agreement before Wednesday at 3. He will still be on the field for the Cowboys in 2020, and the two sides can still reach an agreement once the La season is over. Also, all of this could work in Prescott’s favor, at least financially.
If Dak Prescott does not sign a long-term agreement before the Wednesday deadline and follows the Kirk Cousins route, he could pay financially:
From 2016, his first season under the franchise tag, until 2020, Cousins will have made more money than any NFL player: pic.twitter.com/v57HBPweie
– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 13, 2020
But we are getting ahead of ourselves. There are still two full days left until the July 15 deadline. Prescott and the Cowboys still have plenty of time to reach a deal that will keep the QB in Dallas for years to come.
