An update on Dak Prescott’s contract discussions is given by Stephen Jones.
Chief operating officer of the Dallas Cowboys Stephen Jones talked about the challenge of getting Dak Prescott to sign a long-term deal.
The Dallas Cowboys have no shortage of interesting storylines to watch, but the one that has garnered the most attention this summer is Dak Prescott’s pending contract extension. The player who finished second in the MVP vote for 2023 is nearing the end of his 2021 contract extension and is coming off of his best season as a professional.
Things between Dak and the front office have been going slowly, just like they did throughout those negotiations. The quarterback recently reported that there had been “conversations,” but he also stated that he gives things to his agency.
Now, as their chief operations officer, Stephen Jones, provided an update on The Athletic’s Scoop City Podcast, the brass has spoken.
“When you start stacking them up like that, you know, it’s a challenge,” he stated. Not that it’s impossible, but if you want to accomplish it, you will need to make some concessions. When they made that ridiculous trade at the receiving position, I know the Vikings were there with Jefferson. You know, Jefferson is the only player on the squad who earns more than $20 million. — Dianna Russini, via Stephen Jones
This statement by Jones has a few noteworthy tidbits. First, he stated that there must be “give and take,” which seems to be an attempt to utilise the media to pressure Prescott’s side into making a concession. Then he makes the point that clubs with more cap space are the Minnesota Vikings, who recently signed Justin Jefferson to a massive contract.
In addition to bringing out the lack of large contracts for the Vikings, he listed guys who have made money with Dallas, starting with Prescott. The Jones family has previously stated that paying a quarterback restricts their options in free agency, so this strategy is not new to them.
Jones did not, however, include the teams that had signed both his quarterback and other players. Chris Jones was compensated by the Kansas City Chiefs even though Patrick Mahomes had a lucrative contract. The Philadelphia Eagles are another team who signed free agents Bryce Huff and Saquon Barkley despite paying Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith.
Not to mention the Cleveland Browns, who have assembled a strong roster in spite of giving Deshaun Watson a foolish $230 million contract. Teams can get around the cap and make it work if they wish to compensate their players. The Jones family’s attempt to cut costs will ultimately come at a price in the field.
