FRISCO, Texas — Following the successful end of contract extension negotiations with CeeDee Lamb earlier this week and the return of the star wide receiver to the team, the natural turn of attention all points towards Dak Prescott who is sitting on the verge of playing out his contract year with the Cowboys once again in 2024 if an extension agreement cannot be met.
It's an interesting conundrum for both sides. For Prescott, signing now could mean giving up a larger deal that could push well above $60 million on the open market next spring. For the Cowboys, signing their QB1 now locks him long-term, but will the price still look strong whenever big quarterback deals do come down next offseason?
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said on Wednesday that since "Dak is here" there is "no more to do" to ensure that the team is ready to go by the time it takes the field against Cleveland on Sept. 8. For any hope about getting a deal done before that date, there doesn't seem to be urgency on either side.
"Not really sure," Prescott said on if he will be the next to sign a big deal with Dallas. "Not my focus anymore, to be honest. I can't say it was ever my focus. It's about getting this team better."
"That's up to [agent Todd France] and those guys. I'm not going to be a part of them once the season starts. They've been going heavily through Todd and Stephen [Jones] both. It's all part of it."
While some players would want the comfort of knowing that the future is in place going into a contract year, Prescott has always operated a bit differently – going back to when he was franchise tagged in 2020.
"I don't need it," he said on if it needs to be done before the end of the season. "I think it says a lot if it is or it isn't. However doesn't really matter to me, to be honest with you."
And if it isn't, what does that tell Prescott?
"Just how people feel," he said with a smile.
Now a seasoned veteran in both on-field experience and contract talks, Prescott has always maintained his focus on the present. But even with his future uncertain, it would take something drastic for Prescott not to look up a year from now as one of – if not, the – highest paid players in the NFL. For him, there is peace in that to go into 2024 trying to accomplish the task at hand.
"I'm blessed to play this game, to be in year nine, to do what I do and be as healthy as I am," Prescott said. "The experience that I've had, I'm blessed to play this game. I get paid a lot of money to do it. I've already gotten paid, to get paid again is just part of it. I'm due
up for it, whether that's signing here or somewhere else that I don't care to think about at this moment. It's all part of it."
With 10 days to go before the season starts and a mountain of uncertainty about the future swirling, it's clear where No. 4 stands.
"It's about now, period."
