Dak Prescott Contract: How Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper Indicate Dallas Cowboys Will Cave, Pay QB

It’s been three months since the Dallas Cowboys used the franchise tag on Dak Prescott, preventing the quarterback from hitting free agency. With one month remaining until the deadline for a new contract, the two sides have not agreed upon a long-term extension.

As July 15 inches closer, the chances that Prescott will play the 2020 NFL season on the one-year tag increase. However, there is still reason to be optimistic that the signal caller will sign a multi-year deal.

Over the last year, the Cowboys have negotiated with their top offensive players up until the last minute before finally coming to an agreement.

Ezekiel Elliott held out for the entirety of the 2019 preseason, seeking an extension while having two years left on his rookie deal. The Cowboys caved just a few days before Week 1, giving Elliott a record-setting six-year, $90 million contract

Elliott became the highest-paid running back for last year, despite owner Jerry Jones’ assertion a few weeks prior that teams don’t need a rushing champion to win the Super Bowl. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said that the organization would not be a “market-setter” in trying to keep its top stars.

That didn’t stop Dallas from giving Amari Cooper a five-year, $100 million contract in March. The wide receiver had barely hit the open market before the Cowboys gave Cooper the richest deal of any player at his position.

If the Cowboys were willing to break the bank for a receiver and a running back, it stands to reason that the team will do what it takes to sign its two-time Pro Bowl quarterback for the long term.

Prescott reportedly wants a four-year deal to become the sport’s highest-paid player. Dallas has reportedly offered the 26-year-old a five-year contract that would give him the league’s second-highest salary, putting him behind only Russell Wilson.

Whether the two sides meet somewhere in the middle or the Cowboys give in to Prescott’s demands, the quarterback should be in Dallas well beyond 2020.