The Cowboys and Dak Prescott have negotiated for more than a year on a long-term contract. They negotiated right up to Wednesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline, in fact. They still couldn't beat the clock.
Worse, the clock is still ticking.
NFL Network's Jane Slater reported Wednesday that there was an offer that Prescott was interested in pursuing, but there wasn't enough time to wrap it up.
I'm told #Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was involved at the last minute in an effort to get a long term deal done but it was up against the 3pm CST deadline per source informed. The deal was between 33-35M annually with a 110 guaranteed. #Cowboys #Dak
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 15, 2020
The deal included a 50M signing bonus and 70M over the first two years. I'm told Dak Prescott wanted to get this deal done but it was just too late per source informed. #Cowboys https://t.co/3h16v7kcIq
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 15, 2020
Dak Prescott declined to clarify but disputes some of the details reported here. Tells me while he did talk to Stephen Jones & try to get a deal done he's grateful and blessed to be a Cowboy and working & moving forward to do whatever he can to help the team win a Super Bowl. https://t.co/GbNuhiLZhK
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) July 15, 2020
The Dallas Morning News reported (subscription required) that the length of the contract remains a sticking point: The Cowboys want to sign Prescott to a five-year deal but Prescott, 26, wants a four-year deal. And still no middle ground could be reached even though this has been a core issue for a long time.
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A few questions need to be asked after reading the tweets and reports:
— Did Team Prescott (the QB and his agent, Todd France) and/or the Cowboys (Jerry and Stephen Jones) misplay this game of chicken, each waiting too long for the other side to give in? Or did they proceed in a manner they wanted, to ensure that a deal could not be made in time?
— Will the offer that Prescott reportedly liked be available in a few months? Will the Cowboys pass on Prescott if the QB market (Deshaun Watson, Lamar Jackson) goes too high?
Some clues, perhaps, from the post-deadline numbers: Prescott is scheduled to make $31.4 million this season under his exclusive franchise-tag tender, and if the Cowboys want to bring him back for 2021, they could tag him again at $37 million (a mandated 20 percent raise under tag rules). The reported late offer was for about that much. How far beyond those dollars and years, then, is Dallas really willing to go?
Some of these questions may be answered when/if the sides address the impasse. Some may not be answered until the sides resume negotiations — which will be up against a new time limit.
