OXNARD, California — Jerry Jones has not considered the prospect that this is Dak Prescott’s last season with the Dallas Cowboys.
“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.
Upon learning of such remark, Prescott gave the following response during his news conference later that day:“I’m just here so I don’t get fined,” a nod to the statement made by former Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch in 2015 when he refused to be interviewed before to the Super Bowl.
Despite his humorous opening remarks, Prescott made it quite evident throughout his 25-minute speech at the podium that he is at ease with the prospect of this being his last NFL season 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 signed a four-year, $160 million contract in March 2020, and he is currently in the final year of it. Many believed that by now, an extension would have been arranged. The Cowboys are searching for a contract that benefits the franchise. Prescott is attempting to maintain his position as one of the highest-paid players in the league.
Prescott’s $40 million average season is less than that of eleven quarterbacks. Trevor Lawrence and Joe Burrow each earn $55 million on average each season. Averaging more than $50 million a season are Jared Goff ($53 million), Justin Herbert ($52.5 million), Lamar Jackson ($52 million), and Jalen Hurts ($51 million). On his next contract, Prescott will not receive less than $50 million; in fact, he may receive closer to $60 million. It will come from a different team if it is not from the Cowboys.
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.
“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.”
When it comes to the quarterback position, the Cowboys club has differed from others. A player does not play for another team if they are selected to be Dallas’ franchise quarterback. Tony Romo, Don Meredith, Danny White, Troy Aikman, and Roger Staubach never wore the uniform of another team. Prescott claimed he had never thought about that.
“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 just as certain as his father that a solution will be found to keep Dallas’ thirty-year-old quarterback, Prescott.
“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.”
They have had “excellent conversations” with Todd France, Prescott’s agent, he continued. The two sides may still be quite far away, as Stephen Jones continued by saying that they have exchanged “several” contract proposals with WR CeeDee Lamb’s representatives. However, he made no mention of France.
“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.”
Even though Jerry Jones is arguably his biggest admirer, deeds speak louder than words. If Dallas had just finished a deep playoff run rather than suffering yet another heartbreaking playoff loss, would things be different? It is difficult to imagine that Jones would be thinking about his franchise quarterback playing out the last year of a contract that includes no-trade and no-franchise tag restrictions if Prescott and the Cowboys had just returned from their first Super Bowl participation in almost thirty years.Perhaps before making another big commitment, the general manager and owner would like to see a little more in January. Prescott might wear a different team’s uniform next season, but the risk there is what makes it possible.
“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)
