Sports
Dak Prescott Just Scored $31 Million From Jerry Jones Without Breaking a Sweat
Joe Kozlowski began his career as a sports journalist in 2013 and joined Sports7 in 2019. He covers the NBA and soccer for Sports7, with specialties in legacy NBA players such as Michael Jordan and Premier League club Arsenal. Off the clock, he's a Kansas City Chiefs fan and a hockey goalie. Growing up loving Shaquille O'Neal and reading everything he could about the great big men throughout NBA history — likely because he was still tall enough, at least relative to his peers, to play center — he's continued to love learning about and exploring the historical and story-based sides of the basketball archives. As for Arsenal, Joe spent a year living in London and latched onto the local support of the club. He's barely missed a match since, loving Arsene Wenger, enduring the Banter Era, and following along through rebuilds. The Premier League interest developed into a passionate following of the Champions League, Europe's big five league, and international soccer as a whole when played at the highest level. Regardless of the sport, Joe is captivated by the stories of athletes beyond the box scores and how they push the envelope — both in terms of what we think a human is capable of accomplishing and how they find new competitive tactics to win.
Get to know Joe Kozlowski betterUpdated24 Jun 2020
During the 2020 NFL offseason, there has been plenty of quarterback movement. Tom Brady, of course, headed south to Tampa Bay; Philip Rivers also moved east to Indianapolis, and Cam Newton lost his job in Carolina. Dak Prescott, however, seemed stranded in limbo. It finally seems like things will be changing for the Dallas Cowboys quarterback, though.
According to Adam Schefter, Prescott will finally sign his franchise tender. While there's still negotiating to do, that single decision will make the quarterback $31 million richer with the single swipe of a pen.
Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones haven't been able to make a deal
When the 2019 NFL season officially ended, Dak Prescott hit free agency. The Dallas Cowboys, however, have been unable to hammer out a new deal with their quarterback.
While Prescott has become a fixture in the Cowboys offense, the quarterback was still playing for peanuts on his rookie contract. Given his role in Dallas, he understandably wanted a massive extension; Jerry Jones, however, seemed hesitant to break out his checkbook.
In March, the Cowboys chose to slap the franchise tag on Prescott; the quarterback, however, refused to sign the tender or report for the team's virtual offseason. While there have been some inconsistent reports around the finer points of the negotiation, it seems like the sticking point is the overall length. Dallas apparently wants a five-year deal, but Prescott's camp prefers a four-year deal, allowing for another big payday.
Dak Prescott just scored $31 Million of Jerry Jones money
RELATED: Jerry Jones is Worth $8.5 Billion and Hasn't ‘Worked a Day' in Over 30 Years
For the past few months, there hasn't been much progress for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. On Sunday, however, news broke that things are finally moving forward; the quarterback is also about to become quite a bit richer.
As Adam Schefter reported on Twitter, Dak Prescott has decided to sign his franchise tender. While both parties will presumably keep trying to hammer out a long-term deal—that deadline is July 15—the quarterback has at least secured one immediate payday. His franchise tag clocks in at $31.4 million, meaning that, even if everything else falls about, he'll take home that salary in 2020.
Signing that tender, however, is a two-way street. As Schefter pointed out in a subsequent tweet, Prescott is under contract once he signs on the dotted line; that means he's obligated to report to training camp, even if a long-term deal doesn't materialize.
The Dallas Cowboys seem poised to sign their quarterback long-term
RELATED: Jerry Jones Will ‘Absolutely' Not Allow Dak Prescott to Hold Out
As any sports fan can tell you, nothing is a sure thing until both parties sign on the dotted line. With that being said, though, it seems like the Dallas Cowboys will be able to sign Dak Prescott long-term.
By placing the franchise tag on Prescott, the Dallas Cowboys essentially valued his services at a minimum of $31 million per season. While long-term deals are obviously a bit more complex due to the salary cap, that price already puts both parties in the same ballpark. If Jerry Jones is willing to pay his quarterback $31 million for one season, it doesn't seem like a big leap to pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $35 million for four or five seasons.
By signing the franchise tag, Dak Prescott confirmed he'll be in Dallas next season and made himself $31 million richer. Now it's up to Jerry Jones to keep with the Cowboys longterm.
