The Dallas Cowboys are at an impasse with quarterback Dak Prescott. And no matter how things work out for the 26-year-old and two-time Pro Bowler, the Eagles should benefit.
The Eagles’ main division rival slapped the franchise tag on Prescott back in March. If he signs the tag deal, it would pay him $31.4 million for the 2020 season, and leave him free to seek out the highest bidder afterward. Prescott and the Cowboys have been in quiet negotiations since, attempting to hammer out a long-term deal ahead of the July 15 deadline, a deal that will likely make him among the highest-paid players in the game, if not the highest.
Carson Wentz’s contract extension signed with the Eagles last June was a four-year deal worth $128 million, with $66.5 million guaranteed. No matter how you feel about Prescott in relation to Wentz, Prescott will certainly be asking for north of $32 million a year. It’s just the way of the NFL. Just three months after Wentz signed his deal, Rams QB Jared Goff signed a four-year extension worth $134 million, with a whopping $110 million guaranteed.
According to multiple reports, the main sticking point between Prescott and the ‘Boys is the length of the deal. Prescott wants a four-year contract like the one signed by Wentz. The Cowboys want to lock him up for five years. If Prescott does sign a five-year contract with Dallas, you can expect the value of that fifth year to be substantial – in upwards of $42-45 million. In addition, the guaranteed money in his deal, if he agrees to five years, will certainly be north of $100 million, and could approach, if not exceed, Goff’s record guarantee.
I certainly believe the Cowboys and Prescott will work something out. Probably a four-year deal worth somewhere between $37-40 million per season and with guaranteed money right around the $110 million included in Goff’s deal.
You can see how a contract like this could limit a team from a salary cap standpoint. The Cowboys will pay WR Amari Cooper $22 million a year from 2021-2024. Running back Ezekiel Elliott’s 2021 cap hit is $13.7 million, and $16.5 million in 2022. If Prescott were to sign a contract worth, say, $38 million a season, Dallas will be committing more than one-third of its cap space to their “Triplets.”
So, there are two possible scenarios that exist for the Cowboys: A. They sign him to a long-term deal and go cheap on defense/tight end for the next few seasons, or B. They don’t sign him, he walks after the 2020 season, and Dallas has to start their franchise QB search all over again.
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Both of those scenarios should leave Eagles fans smiling for years to come.
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