Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has expressed a willingness to consider playing for another team as he enters the final year of his contract. Although Prescott has made it clear that he wishes to remain with the Cowboys, he acknowledges that the possibility of joining a new team exists.
“I’m gonna say it – I want to be here, but when you look up, all the great quarterbacks I watched played for other teams. That’s not something to fear. It may be a reality for me one day. It may not be my decision,” Prescott stated on Thursday, as reported by Jett Beachum of CBS News Texas.
This is the first time Prescott, who has been in negotiations for a contract extension with Dallas, has publicly entertained the idea of moving to another team. Prescott, 30, is concluding the final season of a four-year, $160-million deal signed in 2021, which includes no-trade and no-tag clauses.
The Cowboys are also in discussions regarding an extension for receiver CeeDee Lamb, who is currently not participating in training camp. Reports suggest that Dallas is focusing on negotiations with Lamb before addressing a new deal for Prescott.
Prescott revealed in June that he has been engaged in “conversations” about a new contract with the Cowboys. “It’s a two-way street. They have wants. I have wants. I think I’ve deserved that,” Prescott added on Thursday.
In addition to Prescott and Lamb, All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons is eligible for an extension as he enters his fourth season. Dallas executive vice president Stephen Jones recently acknowledged the “challenge” of retaining all their star players.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, 81, has historically been slow to secure contracts for key players and suggested that he is not in a hurry this time either. “We’re so involved in trying to see where we are with our situations. That is a major part of seeing the leaves fall. Seeing the time go back. Seeing this day, this week, how they go by. I have, in my life, played option quarterback so many times and waited until the last leaf on the tree. … We’re buying time,” Jerry said on Thursday, according to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team.
Despite repeated statements from Jerry Jones that he does not believe this will be Prescott’s final season with the Cowboys, he conceded that the NFL is ultimately a business. “Believe it or not, in my life, I’ve had a lot of things I wanted that I couldn’t get because I couldn’t afford it. Now, have I learned to live with that in 80-something years? You bet I have. And life does go on,” Jerry added, as reported by Matt Roy of Fox San Antonio.
Since being drafted by the Cowboys in 2016, Prescott has accumulated 29,459 passing yards, ranking third in franchise history, and has thrown 202 touchdown passes, including a league-high 36 last year. Despite a 73-41 regular-season record as a starter, Prescott has a 2-5 playoff record. His new contract could potentially reset the quarterback market with an average annual salary of at least $60 million.
