“No player in human historey has ever deserved to make $60 million a year more than Dak”

The Dallas Cowboys have publicly said they want to sign Dak Prescott to a contract extension this offseason, but it sounds like they are nowhere close to accomplishing that goal.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Tuesday that the Cowboys have yet to make a formal extension offer to Prescott. There have been no signs that a deal is going to get done, with owner Jerry Jones saying Dallas is “locked and loaded for this year.”

Prescott and the Cowboys recently agreed to a minor restructure that lowered the quarterback’s 2024 salary cap number from nearly $60 million to $55.5 million. The new deal gave Dallas some immediate cap relief but does not prevent them from negotiating a long-term extension with Prescott.

Now, there are serious doubts about whether a long-term deal will be in place prior to Week 1.

Prescott is entering the final season of the four-year, $160 million contract he signed in 2021. He had arguably his best NFL season in 2023 with 4,516 yards, 36 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Many assumed the Cowboys would be forced to extend Prescott given how he played and how high his cap number is, but it sounds like the team is prepared to let the situation play out.

Though he had an MVP-caliber season, Prescott did not play well in the Cowboys’ shocking home loss to the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the playoffs. The result of that game left many people believing head coach Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat. Jerry Jones has hinted that he is not opposed to having his quarterback enter a lame-duck season as well.

A lot can change in five months, but for now it appears Prescott and the Cowboys are playing a game of chicken.

Prescott’s contract stipulates the Cowboys cannot place the franchise tag on him in 2025. He also has a no-trade clause, though all that really means is he can be traded only to a team that meets his approval. Similarly, Russell Wilson had a no-trade clause and was dealt from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos. Any such trade of Prescott would require a reworked contract to make it more palatable against the cap for the Cowboys, which is what happened to facilitate Aaron Rodgers’ trade to the New York Jets from the Green Bay Packers.

Still, a trade is unlikely for a variety of reasons, starting with the Cowboys want to win badly in 2024 and believe Prescott can help them do that.

But the Prescott question is not so much about 2024 as it is 2025 and beyond.

The Cowboys have three options with Prescott and his contract: do nothing, add voidable years to his deal, or sign him to a massive contract extension.