Dak Prescott had previously said he would not set a deadline on a Cowboys extension. While Jerry Jones subsequently offered that the team expected to have Prescott on the 2025 roster, the owner’s timeline may have rankled his longtime quarterback.
Jones said the team was unlikely to have a Dak deal done by Week 1, going so far as to say the team does not need to complete one by that point. It is rather bold for Jones, given the leverage Prescott possesses, to remain confident Prescott will be the team’s 2025 starter when the Cowboys can only keep him off the market via an extension. The franchise tag, based on Prescott effectively winning the sides’ first negotiation, has long been off the table. 
When asked about Jones’ comments, Prescott said (via The Athletic’s Jon Machota) he “stopped listening to things [Jones] says to the media a long time ago. It doesn’t really hold weight with me.” Though, Prescott did seem to take issue with part of Jones’ assessment. When asked if he would like a deal by Week 1, Prescott replied (via the Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins), “I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn’t.”
To be clear, Prescott continued his refrain of staying out of negotiations and insisting he is indifferent on whether a deal comes to pass before next Sunday’s opener in Cleveland. But talks appear unlikely to produce any resolution at this point. Negotiations have continued throughout the summer, ESPN’s Todd Archer confirms. Those efforts do not have the parties on the verge of an agreement, he adds.
Interestingly, Prescott noted (via Archer) that the matter of whether or not talks continue into the regular season is up to Jones and agent Todd France to decide, not him. Earlier this month, the 2023 MVP runner-up noted he is on board with extension negotiations taking place during the fall, although his role in any talks which occur at that point will no doubt be limited with the season taking place. Waiting until the spring would add further pressure with a free agent departure becoming a distinct possibility.
“When you look at a situation, you’ve also got to weigh, ‘OK, what are the consequences of the other side of the coin?'” Jones said when addressing the Prescott case. “And so Dak’s situation right now for me, from my mirror, has more to do with our situation than it does with the merits of Dak Prescott being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Even with wideout CeeDee Lamb‘s deal now on the books, two key questions remain for Dallas from a financial standpoint. Prescott and edge rusher Micah Parsons are in contention to top their respective markets on their next contracts, and affording both (in addition to Lamb’s $34MM AAV) will be challenging. Since Parsons has two years left on his rookie deal, his situation is on track to remain unsettled until next offseason. For Prescott, meanwhile, plenty of progress will still need to be made — before or after Week 1 — for an agreement to emerge.
