DALLAS — Dak Prescott could be entering his final year as Dallas Cowboys quarterback if there is no resolution to his contract, but he has an optimistic outlook.
“I'm definitely confident,” Prescott said after participating in a Children's Cancer Fund event with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman on Monday. “Obviously it helps the team. It's important for the numbers… That's a process. Both sides understand it. It's all great. It will happen.”
To date, there have been no substantive discussions between the Cowboys and Prescott's agent, Todd France. The sides did not speak at last week's scouting combine in Indianapolis as the new league year begins March 13.
Prescott will count $59.45 million against the salary cap in 2024. He has a base salary of $29 million and a $5 million roster bonus that expires on the fifth day of the league year.
An extension could substantially reduce Prescott's cap number, but it took the sides nearly two years to negotiate the four years, $160 million Prescott signed in 2021. As part of that deal, the Cowboys cannot place the franchise tag to Prescott in 2025 and has a no-trade clause.
Without an extension and the inability to use the franchise tag on him, Prescott would be hitting the open market within a year and the Cowboys have no way to guarantee he will remain their quarterback.
Speaking from the combine last week, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said: “What we do or don't do there [with Prescott’s contract]”I couldn't say it right now, but the main thing is that he's going to be our quarterback.”
The Cowboys can create approximately $18 million in cap space without reaching an extension with Prescott by restructuring the deal with two voidable years remaining. However, that would increase Prescott's dead money to approximately $58 million without an extension.
Jones said he's not worried about this being Prescott's last year.
“No, I'm not afraid of that,” Jones said. “Well, because I've focused on being better than we were last year. And that's where the focus would be. Every player you have has some time when their contract ends. You'd walk around with tremors if you feared it. “You can't because they all arise. Everyone can get hurt. Everyone can lose some talent. So all that is not fear. I know you're asking for a reaction to that. It's my job to know when “Someone gets hurt or when their career comes to an end or when things don't get negotiated, my job is to do something else.”
Prescott, who became a father for the first time last week with the birth of his daughter, MJ, led the NFL in touchdown passes last season with 36. He had just nine interceptions after tying the league lead for the season. 2023 despite failing five. games. He came in second in MVP voting and was named second-team All Pro.
Entering his second season with Mike McCarthy as play-caller, Jones believes Prescott has more to accomplish.
Jones said the sides can close gaps in talks quickly, “if everyone wants to work it out.”
“You can, so how do you come in and get on the same page and see if you can come to an agreement? If you can't, what we have in place works. And obviously, if you do it one way, then you'll work on some of the other ways.” areas of the team in a different way. But you can't really plan for that until you see where you are there. That's what we're doing.”
Jones has called the Cowboys' offseason approach “all-in,” following a disappointing playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers following a third straight 12-5 finish.
“I'm excited to see it, honestly,” Prescott said. “I don't know. I can't say I've had conversations with him about what all-in is and how he plans to make those moves, but yeah, let's see and I'm excited about it.”
