3x Cowboys Pro Bowler pushes Dallas to 'hurry up' with Dak Prescott's contract extension
Dak Prescott will be a free agent at the end of the season if he doesn't sign an extension with the Dallas Cowboys. Former All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant believes that extensions for both Prescott and CeeDee Lamb need to happen sooner rather than later.
Bryant pleaded with the team:
"We need to hurry up and do something … I gotta be able to go to war with the opposing team fans!!!"
Contract negotiations between the Cowboys and Prescott have stalled. According to a recent report, the EVP of the team stated that "the ball is in Dak's court" and that the team is just waiting to hear back.
Quarterback contracts have gotten much steeper over the last two seasons. Players like Jalen Hurts reset the market with a five-year, $255 million deal, and briefly became the highest-paid player in the league before others replaced them. Hurts is now the eighth-highest-paid player.
That trend increases the overall value of a good quarterback. Prescott could easily get over $50 million annually, which makes negotiations difficult. While the market dictates this high price, it remains steep for any team, including the Cowboys.
Nevertheless, Bryant, a three-time Pro Bowler who only played briefly with Prescott, thinks it is in the team's best interest to extend him now, regardless of the cost.
NFL insider believes now is the time for a Dak Prescott extension
Dak Prescott could play out his one year on a roughly $40 million price tag with the Dallas Cowboys and hit free agency, where he can get $50 or more million per year from another team, considering how the market has changed over the last couple of years. Starting quarterbacks aren't easy to come by, so many teams would jump at the chance to sign Prescott.
Therefore, if the Cowboys don't want a bidding war, they need to sign him now. Plus, the longer they wait, the more opportunities for other QBs to sign and continue pushing the ceiling higher.
NFL insider Joel Corry believes Jerry Jones has to do it now since Prescott, thanks to his contract stipulations, cannot be franchise-tagged. He said via CBS Sports:
"If Jones is serious about retaining Prescott he needs to start thinking about what would make him forego a chance to test the open market in 2025 since he can't be restricted by a franchise tag."
The discussions have begun, but it remains to be seen how they will play out.