Dak Prescott enjoyed arguably his best season as a pro in 2019, throwing for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, while posting a 71.2 QBR, the second best mark of his career. While he was not quite as efficient as his rookie season, he was asked to do more and delivered with strong raw and advanced numbers, making his impending free agency a hot topic all season.
After a hot start to the year, the Cowboys as a team faltered, missing the playoffs at 8-8, and as they struggled as a unit the contract extension negotiations between Prescott and the team dragged on. As we approach the start of the new NFL year, the two sides still haven’t found common ground on an extension, and, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter, it seems “inevitable” that the Cowboys will place the dreaded franchise tag, worth about $33.3 million, on Prescott.
At this point, the franchise tag looks inevitable, according to sources, although neither side wants the tag to come into play. Dallas strongly prefers a long-term agreement, and it will continue to push to sign Prescott to an extension in the coming weeks. Prescott, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month, also wants a long-term deal.
There’s still time to figure out a deal, and as we know, the pressure applied by hard deadlines tends to accelerate the negotiating process. The franchise tag would mean Prescott would only be allowed to negotiate with the Cowboys for the next year, but players often scoff at the tag and it can lead to a widening of the gap between Prescott and Dallas.
