Dak Prescott is entering the final year of his Dallas Cowboys contract. Although there have been diverse opinions on whether the 30-year-old should be paid top dollar, Prescott keeps faith in his skills as an elite quarterback.
Jerry Jones remains optimistic that they will extend Prescott’s stay in Arlington. Despite announcing that the Cowboys board is in accordance to let Prescott play out his contract, they also reportedly will not allow him to hit the free market.
Although Prescott previously revealed that he doesn’t play for the money, the three-time Pro Bowler would not back away from gambling on himself and his teammates.
This is the urgency you should always have, [to be honest]. Maybe guys who wouldn't normally feel it [but] I don't mind it. I've been in this position before [and] I'm a gambling man. I'll gamble on myself and my guys. Dak Prescott said per the 33rd Team’s Ari Meirov
Perhaps the choice of words wasn’t that desirable from Prescott’s end, so he decided to quickly clarify what he meant.
Not [actually] guys. I understand there's been a lot of [gambling issues], so, not that way. Dak Prescott added to clear the air
Fortunately, the reporters took his quote at face value and did not dig deep too much into it. It would have been worrisome if the quarterback of the ‘America’s Team’ started promoting gambling, which is strictly prohibited by the NFL committee.
Why do the Cowboys keep delaying Dak Prescott’s extension?
Even though Prescott has played eight seasons in Dallas, his best numbers came during his rookie year (2016) when he won 13 games with a passer rating of 104.9, securing the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. It took him until the 2023 season to finally surpass those numbers, racking up career-high pass completions (410) with a rating of 105.9.
Unlike Tua Tagovailoa, Prescott doesn’t suffer from long-term injuries, but his failure to lead the Cowboys to a successful postseason might have deterred Jones from giving him a new contract. So far, Prescott appeared in 7 playoff games and has won just twice, including last season’s wild-card exit to the Green Bay Packers.
Even though his faith in Prescott is tight, Jones perhaps is waiting to see if the quarterback can finally deliver at the business end of the season. However, the 77-year-old can’t just cut him from the roster.
Spotrac revealed that there’s a no-release clause in Prescott’s contract, which he signed in 2021. Furthermore, the Cowboys can’t impose the franchise tag on him, and cutting him before March 2025 will leave a dead cap of $42.5 million.
As ESPN’s Adam Schefter claimed, Dak Prescott has all the leverage he needs to pocket an annual salary close to $60 million. He can take all the time he needs to negotiate, but in return, he must make his final year count.
