FRISCO, Texas — This offseason brings a sense of déjà vu for the Dallas Cowboys. Once again, the main topic circulating is the stalemate between quarterback Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ front office in negotiating a long-term contract.
With the revenue losses sustained in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 salary cap will decrease. Unless a deal is reached before March 9th, Dallas will be forced to place the franchise tag on Prescott for the second time in order to retain him. The Cowboys have several more months to negotiate with their franchise quarterback or he will receive and play out the season on a $37.7 million tag which would put Dallas in a difficult position to divvy up the rest of the lower cap for the others on the 53-man roster.
As is familiar, No.4 is the team’s most pressing decision. His contract negotiations have loomed over the team for the past three years but this time around, there is also Prescott’s recovery from a season-ending compound ankle fracture and dislocation. As time passes, more and more questions are raised, and frustration permeates.
Last offseason, Prescott and the Cowboys could not agree on the number of years on the deal (four vs. five) resulting in the Mississippi State product playing the year on a $31 million franchise tag. Through the first five games of 2020, Prescott was off to a record-setting performance. He led the league is every statistical passing category and was on pace to throw for 5,000 yards rallying the Cowboys from behind, but the injury shattered his career-high year.
The begging question now is how much urgency is prevalent between both sides to get a long-term deal done and if a long-term deal cannot be reached, will Prescott choose to walk and not sign the tag? A lot to consider with the injury and also trying to gauge where the salary cap will be for the upcoming year. Throughout the 2020 season, the front office and head coach, Mike McCarthy assured media that Prescott was ahead of schedule in his rehab process and was in the building every day dedicating himself to helping out the team in any way possible.
Given the level of respect for Prescott by the organization which was clearly evident by the outpour of love and support following the injury, it is unlikely that the Cowboys will move in a different direction from the player that is the heart and soul of the squad. If the Cowboys cannot lock him down and once again the tag proposal is on the table, Prescott may choose to go elsewhere. Only two quarterbacks in NFL history have played on the tag, Kirk Cousins in 2016 and 2017, and Drew Brees in 2005. It is not common for a QB designated a “franchise player” to wind up playing on the tag. It is possible that a deadline could get the deal done in Dallas.
Prescott is certainly one of the most sought-after quarterbacks with an uncertain future but there are many others that will be hitting the open market this offseason. Over the past week, two names emerged going in different directions from their current teams, Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford. Watson wants out of the Texans organization after his input on a new head coach candidate was ignored. The relationship will not be mended, and Stafford has requested a trade from the Lions. The embattled team is undergoing another coaching change and not long after Dan Campbell was hired by the Lions organization on a shocking six-year deal, Stafford expressed his desire to move on from Detroit.
In addition, following the loss in the NFC Championship game, Aaron Rodgers made it known that his future in Green Bay is unclear. The club drafted quarterback Jordan Love in the first-round following the 2019 season and although Rodgers brought the team back to the playoffs this year, they failed to reach the Super Bowl and Rodgers seems dissatisfied.
The number of quarterbacks on the market certainly adds intrigue. Adding to the previous names mentioned, Sam Darnold, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Mitchell Trubisky, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Alex Smith, and Ben Roethlisberger are all QB’s whose futures are not set-in stone to create an offseason like no other in quarterback movement. It will be interesting as a game of musical chairs ensues this offseason.
