FRISCO, Texas — In some ways, this offseason mirrors last year for the Dallas Cowboys regarding contract negotiations with quarterback Dak Prescott.
Last season, Prescott and the Cowboys’ front office reached a stalemate and could not get a deal done in March before the tag deadline, or prior to the July 15th deadline to sign franchise players to multi-year contracts. No.4 then played the 2020 season on a $31 million franchise tag.
Dallas will try again this offseason to lock up their quarterback for the future. The Cowboys hope to sign Prescott to a long-term deal before the March 9th tag deadline, but if no agreement is reached, the organization will be forced to tag the Mississippi State product for the second consecutive year for a sum of $37.7 million to prohibit him from being on the market and fair game for other teams across the league.
However, differing factors come into play for the silver and blue this time around.
Dak Prescott’s injury.
In week five against the New York Giants, Prescott suffered a season-ending compound right ankle fracture and dislocation. He was immediately carted off the field in a surreal and devastating moment of silence for QB1. Prescott was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where he underwent immediate successful surgery that night.
To the surprise of many, it began circulating recently that Prescott indeed had a second surgery, which had not been privy information during the season for obvious reasons.
Initially, the worry with compound ankle fractures is preventing infection, medical professionals told D210SPORTS. Once that is avoided, then doctors can work to stabilize the injury. It appears that is the route taken with Prescott in the second surgery.
The clean-up provided security and helped spur his overall recovery process. As sources have confirmed and coaches stressed throughout the year, he is deemed “ahead of schedule” and on track to begin work in the spring ahead of the 2021 season.
NFL Network was first to report the additional surgery.
Prescott faced no setbacks and if a long-term deal is made, he is projected to become the highest-paid player in the team’s history and one of the highest-paid in the league. He certainly upped his worth and stock by setting career-highs and a myriad of passing statistical records before the injury. He is in the prime of his career and is valued as one of the top ten quarterbacks in the NFL. If not now, when?
Reaching a deal sooner rather than later would help the Cowboys evaluate the salary cap after the revenue losses sustained in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. It takes two to tango and the question remains, how much urgency is there by both parties to get a long-term contract done?
Time will tell.
