Dallas

Jerry Jones Holds the Leverage in a Dak Prescott Extension

Why freak out about Jerry Jones saying he will give Dak Prescott a contract extension?

Cowboys fans, or anti-Dak fans, need to realize owner Jerry Jones has the leverage in this contract negotiation.

After three seasons, Dak Prescott is not going to be sitting across from Jones asking for a deal that makes him the highest paid player in the game. Eight games into the season, Prescott is the 27th ranked passer in the NFL and his head coach most likely will lose his job.

I don't see Prescott getting a 5-year $125 million deal like the one Derek Carr got from the Oakland Raiders unless it is team friendly with some incentives.

The contract Carr signed in the summer of 2017 made him the NFL's highest-paid player in terms of new money average. At 1-7, the Raiders may be regretting paying Carr what they did.

Contracts are about timing. Prescott will most likely finish his third NFL season with his second consecutive non-playoff appearance -- 2018 could be a losing season for the Cowboys.

Jones has not detailed what he is willing to pay Prescott, but he has said it would be a fair deal. Stephen Jones said in May 2018, “We all see what some of the other guys are who aren’t Aaron Rodgers, who aren’t Matt Ryan [are getting paid]," Jones said. "He’s going to do well. We certainly know that’s going to happen. We’ve got that planned in our budgeting for the salary cap."

It's November and the Cowboys sit at 3-5. This puts the Cowboys in a position to pay Prescott at a rate they are comfortable with.

Prescott is scheduled to make $720,000 in 2019. Dallas could make him play it out.

PFT Live debated Jones' statement about paying his quarterback. Mike Florio made a point to bring up the contract Blake Bortles signed in Jacksonville as one Jones could use. The Jags gave him $54 million over three years -- $26.5 million of Bortles deal is guaranteed.

If Dak ends up making $18 million a year, fans should not be upset. That is just what starting quarterbacks make in the NFL.

Without a first-round pick, Dallas will not be looking in the draft to find Dak's replacement or even someone to compete against him.

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