The Dallas Cowboys prevented Dak Prescott from hitting free agency with the franchise tag, but the quarterback’s contract status for the 2020 NFL season remains in flux. The two sides continue to discuss a potential long-term deal, for which they have until July 15 to come to an agreement.

If Prescott plays on the franchise tag, he’ll be paid a guaranteed salary of $31.4 million before needing a new contract in 2021. The signal caller is unlikely to sign a long-term deal unless it makes him one of the highest-paid players in NFL history.

“Dak, obviously, is the elephant in the room,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said, via The Dallas Morning News. “Everyone knows it. We’ve just got to keep grinding.”

According to The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore, the Cowboys have offered to make Prescott the league’s highest-paid player. Russell Wilson currently leads all players with a $35 million average yearly salary, having agreed to a four-year, $140 million extension a year ago.

Ben Roethlisberger is second at $34 million per season. Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff make $33.5 million a year.

Prescott was better than all three quarterbacks in 2019.

Roethlisberger was limited to just six quarters of football because of season-ending elbow surgery. Rodgers had the NFL’s best interception rate, but he only completed 62.0% of his passes and led the No.18 offense. Goff took a step back after leading the Los Angeles Rams to the Super Bowl, going from a 101.1 passer rating in 2018 to an 86.5 passer rating in 2019.

Dallas had the NFL’s top-ranked offense last season. Prescott finished second with 4,902 passing yards, fourth with 30 touchdowns and fifth with 8.2 yards per attempt.

Prescott has a 40-24 career record with a 97.0 passer rating.

“Jerry [Jones] has always told me, as a mentor of mine, as the money gets bigger, the deals get harder,” Stephen Jones said. “Obviously, when we’re talking about Dak, it’s as big as it gets in the NFL. So, it’s got to be right for Dak, and it’s got to be right for us.”

The length of Dallas’ proposed deal, as well as the amount of guaranteed money, is reportedly holding up an agreement.

Matt Ryan owns the NFL’s richest contract. The Atlanta Falcons gave the quarterback a five-year, $150 million deal two years ago. The Rams reportedly gave Goff $110 million guaranteed as part of a $134 million extension last year.

Dallas gave Amari Cooper a record-setting five-year, $100 million contract in March. The Cowboys signed Ezekiel Elliott to a historic six-year, $90 million deal in September.

Dak Prescott Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys hands the ball off to Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Tom Pennington/Getty Images
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