Cowboys hoping Prescott will agree to team-friendly extension
The Dallas Cowboys were widely expected to reward Dak Prescott with a big-money extension during the offseason to ensure the quarterback wouldn't need to play out his contract year.
But the regular season began with Prescott still unsigned. On Friday, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said the NFC East club remains hopeful that Prescott will agree to a team-friendly deal despite his stellar start to the year.
"The only thing we need him to do is work with us a little bit, and I understand because it's his money and it's easy for someone else to say, but the only reason we're having a negotiation is to talk him into all the reasons why it's good to have a good supporting cast around him," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. "Other than that, it would be really easy to write the check. It's not saving (Cowboys owner) Jerry (Jones) and I any money.
"What we're trying to do is keep this young football team together. We think it's a really good one. We think it's only going to keep getting better because it is young. Other than that, this negotiation would have been over with months ago. But I think he understands where we're coming from. We understand where he's coming from. Ultimately, we'll figure this out."
The 26-year-old has led Dallas to an NFC East-best 4-3 start. Moreover, Prescott appears to have taken a significant step forward under first-year offensive coordinator Kellen Moore's watch.
Prescott ranks seventh in passer rating (102.6), third in passing yards (2,123), and first in ESPN's QBR (81.1). He trails only Patrick Mahomes and Kirk Cousins in yards per attempt (8.9).
Russell Wilson currently leads all quarterbacks in annual salary at $35 million. However, Dallas may be aiming to avoid resetting the market after handing out huge offseason deals to defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, running back Ezekiel Elliott, and linebacker Jaylon Smith.
Further complicating matters for the Cowboys is that wide receiver Amari Cooper, defensive end Robert Quinn, and cornerback Byron Jones are also set to become unrestricted free agents after the season.