Dak’s contract negotiations are holding the Cowboys hostage

Saint Dak Prescott is a real thing. A savior sent to us from the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft to scoop Cowboys fans into his embrace at the loss of fan-favorite Tony Romo.

So why are Jerry & Stephen Jones and the Cowboys taking so long to extend his contract?

I know there are two sides to every negotiation and none of us are in the room to know what part of the talks have led to a standstill.

To my untrained eye, there are no good reasons to let the contract negotiations simmer on the back burner while time passes and the contract gets increasingly expensive.

It Will Only Get More Expensive

As it stands right now, Dak Prescott is tied for 10th in average annual salary, behind lesser (my opinion) quarterbacks like Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, and even division rival Jalen Hurts.

Prescott was robbed of the NFL MVP award last season by Jackson, whose passing numbers did not compare in the slightest.

Reports on Twitter say that Prescott and his agent Todd France are requesting a $60 million per year salary along with the most guaranteed money in NFL history.

But how true is that report? I'm glad Dak is the quarterback of my team, but let's be realistic here. He's not better than Patrick Mahomes. Nobody is better than Patrick Mahomes at playing quarterback on this entire planet, much less a quarterback a few hundred miles south.

The speculation on the amount Dak wants may not be accurate, and if it isn't, even more shame on the Jones for not getting a deal done already.

Kirk Cousins struck a deal with the Atlanta Falcons for $45 million per season, but most of his money was guaranteed. Where would that leave Dak?

That question has yet to be answered, but hopefully, it will be answered soon.

Time Passes

While the two sides sit in an apparent stalemate, not only is money being lost (on the team's side) but time as well.

The worst thing the Cowboys could do is let negotiations bleed into training camp, and even worse, into the regular season.

If Prescott is forced to play a contract year, I believe the door will be shut forever and he will never play in a Cowboys uniform again.

The Cowboys have been held hostage by Prescott's contract extension uncertainty, whether it comes from their side or not. Time is passing, and the reason Dak seems in no hurry is because he has more time than the Cowboys have.

Next season will be Prescott's ninth season and as far as quarterbacks go, he is still in his prime. He can play out his last season in Dallas, collect $59 million, and bolt for greener pastures with the contract the Cowboys wouldn't agree to.

Dallas doesn't have this time. While they are being held hostage by Todd France, it has created a chain reaction to halt talks on extension for any other players, namely star WR CeeDee Lamb.

Until the Cowboys can come to an agreement with Prescott or at least decide right now that this will be his last season, they cannot move forward with a concrete plan.