Dallas Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones reaffirmed the team’s plan to sign quarterback Dak Prescott to a long-term contract.
Jones said Wednesday that there’s no direct impact on Prescott or contract talks based on peripheral comparisons being made to Carson Wentz losing his starting job in Philadelphia after the Eagles signed him to a long-term extension worth $128 million.
Dak Prescott’s makeup ‘all the right things’
“Our issues are in our negotiations with Dak have been we’re wanting to be more committed in terms of the term,” Jones said in an interview with 105.3 The Fan. “We’re not nervous to sign Dak. I think his makeup is all the right things. He’s an amazing man off the field, he’s a great leader in our locker room, a great player and that’s why we’ve wanted to sign him long term. … When you sign a player long-term you’ve got more flexibility in how you work the salary cap with a player who’s gonna eat up a big percentage of your cap when you’re talking about a quarterback.”
Prescott was lost for the season to a severe ankle injury suffered Oct. 11 and isn’t expected to participate in offseason workouts until March or April.
By then the Cowboys and Prescott already would have determined whether Prescott will play again on the franchise tag. He was tagged last spring and played 2020 on the $32 million franchise tender after the two sides tried but failed to close on a contract in July.
Prescott, 27, never missed an NFL game until he went down in Week 5. He is 42-27 in five NFL regular seasons and 1-2 in the playoffs, all with the Cowboys.
Dak Prescott focused on recovery, not contract
Prescott said last week he is focusing on winning each day and expects the contract with the Cowboys to take care of itself.
“For me, as I talk about the mental capacity, it’s about creating and making small victories,” he said of his progress. “Each and every day, when I wake up and I go in for rehab, it’s about, for me, seeing my leg or seeing my body do something that it didn’t do the day before or creating a feeling that I didn’t have the day before — so I know that I’m continuing to get better. And at the end of the day, I know my team needs me. I know that they need me now for support but they’ll need me again later, so it’s about helping them, whichever way that I can and however I can. “It’s about being right mentally and then counting those small victories.”
Jones said the Cowboys understand there is always risk in long-term commitments. Prescott, who was leading the NFL in passing at the time of his injury, likely would command top dollar if he reaches free agency even after his injury. Jones doubled down on his previous statement in October that “Dak is our future.”
“It’s certainly not easy. We’re looking at it,” Jones said. “We’ve been out front, I think everybody’s aware of the issues here of why the deal hasn’t been done is more length of the term than it has been the actual amount of the contract. Certainly shows you our confidence in Dak because we want him here for the long term. Certainly, when you make a bad decision on a big contract, it can affect you.
“I can’t speak for the Eagles. I don’t know where they are with Carson Wentz and what their long-term thoughts are on Carson. When something’s not working out and you have big numbers on a contract you’re committed to it can certainly affect your football team for a couple of years.”
–Field Level Media ()