Dak Prescott signs a $31.4 million franchise tender with the Dallas Cowboys

In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Dak Prescott signs a $31.4 million franchise tender with the Dallas Cowboys, but questions about a long-term deal still linger ... the PGA Championship gets the green light, but with no fans ... and NASCAR provides us all with a beautiful moment before the start of the GEICO 500. There is a game of chess going on in Dallas this summer and Dak Prescott just tossed out an unexpected gambit that might just give him extra control over the situation. The Cowboys’ quarterback and the franchise have been engaged in a quirky little dance for a while now, a weird situation where Prescott wants to stay with the team, the team wants Prescott to remain with them, but neither side is minded to give a shred of unnecessary ground on the journey to a fresh deal. There has been speculation on how this would all play out for months, but one thing that few predicted was what took place on Monday, when Prescott formally accepted the $31.4 million franchise tag that was extended to him.

Signing the tag has a number of effects. It means that Prescott loses the leverage of being able to hold out, taking things deep into training camp and ultimately show up a few days before the start of the season without surrendering a cent in salary penalties. It also does what the tag says on the label — it guarantees that he will get paid, and how much, for the forthcoming season. But this is a saga of tactical nuance, a mental, emotional and contractual battle with a lot of levels to it. By taking the franchise tag, Prescott may actually have improved his chances of getting the most favorable long-term deal, sooner. How is that possible? Prescott and his team have perhaps used some next stage thinking when it comes to this move. By taking the franchise tag, they remove the leverage the Cowboys have of possibly rescinding it. Had that happened late in the discussion process, when other teams already had their rosters set, Prescott’s value on the open market would have been limited.

Smart move or not, it was one few foresaw, as highlighted by former Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook’s comments on First Things First. “I’m surprised that Dak signed this so long before the July 15 deadline,” Westbrook said. “You had up until that point to get a long -term deal. He wants to go find out and figure out that new offense. He wants to show you he is the type of leader that deserves this contract. “He has been the face of that franchise. He has backed the Cowboys into a relative corner by saying ‘okay, I am going to come in and have a great season, and when I do, I am going to expect a much bigger part of your cap.’” The cap, and what may happen to it, shapes up as forming part of Prescott’s positional strength. Accepting this sets his franchise fee for next season at $37.7 million, a higher number than any player in the NFL currently makes. The salary cap has increased by at least $10 million for the past seven years, but the effects of the global pandemic are such that no one expects that to be repeated this time. Which is why, now, Jerry Jones might feel like getting a long-term deal done has a greater sense of urgency to it. Despite Prescott signing the tender, that could still be ripped up if the sides come to a meeting of the minds between now and July 15.

However, two sides can play the game of positioning and posturing, and the Cowboys arguably do it better than anyone. “No one has defended Dak Prescott more than I have,” wrote Undisputed’s Skip Bayliss on Twitter. “But he and his agent are still asking for more than he deserves. Accepting the tag is a strategic dare to push Jerry Jones toward caving before (the) July 15 deadline. He won’t. Dak must compromise, at least a little.” This certainly could be the case. However, having backed himself by playing out the 2019 season for $2 million, he now wants to get paid like not just an upper echelon QB, but what he probably envisions as back salary. He wants to set a new bar for QB cash beyond Russell Wilson’s $35 million a year, and install a record that would probably last until Patrick Mahomes inks a new contract worthy of a bona fide star and Super Bowl champion. Though the franchise decision was a genuine and real development, there is still a lot we don’t know about the intricacies of the situation. According to the Dallas Morning News, the possibility remains that the parties are actually close to a deal, and Prescott’s move was a backstop to afford him an extra layer of protection against a preseason injury or illness.

Because this is the Cowboys, every aspect of the Prescott decision will be dissected and analyzed. There will be a rush to try to figure out who won this particular encounter, and who came out the wrong side of it. It is a lot more intricate than that. Prescott had a small piece of implied leverage, and he used it. It only works if it gets him the result he wants. It is not the end of the game, it is just the latest move. It is a weird reality, that the person who will have more impact than any on trying to get the Cowboys to the Super Bowl, and the owner most invested in making that happen, are currently locked in a struggle that sees them trying to outwit each other. That’s football, and that’s business. The lazy perspective would be to say that Jones knows business, and Prescott knows football. In truth, each man knows both, which is why we are in this spot, and why the chess match continues.

Here's what others have said...

Jason La Canfora, CBS Sports: “He can — and I have maintained, should — go the Kirk Cousins route and stick it to the Cowboys. Doing a long-term deal in this climate is tricky — though the sides will continue to try to hash this out until the July 15 deadline — and Prescott has time on his side. A one-year deal might get us closer to a vaccine and perhaps full stadiums again, which means more revenues and a better fiscal backdrop to what should be the biggest deal in league history. No reason not to put pen to paper and lock in this haul.“

Mike Florio, Profootballtalk.com: “Prescott sacrifices the ability to hold out during training camp and the preseason, but that’s not something he was inclined to do. By regarding his situation as a contract year that pays out $31.4 million with the potential to make $37.68 million if they tag him in 2021, Prescott’s bests interests are served by showing up and preparing to perform at the highest level. Unlike former Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell, who skipped all of the 2017 training camp and preseason, Prescott needs work and reps and preparation. Tailback is largely a plug-and-play position. Quarterback isn’t, especially with a new head coach.”

Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News: “The NFL salary cap is $198.2 million for 2020, and regardless of what Prescott is paid this year, the team has room for that. But the future is uncertain. There’s a strong possibility the NFL season will be played without fans or a limited number in the seats because of the pandemic. The NFL salary cap is formed by revenue generated in various forms. One is revenue from gate receipts at NFL stadiums. If the 2020 season doesn’t produce enough income, then the salary cap for 2021 might get reduced. Over the last 10 years, the salary cap has jumped an average of $10 million per year, and NFL teams project future salaries based on this. If the salary cap is lower in 2021 or 2022, that could impact Prescott’s future earnings. Prescott’s agent is aware of a possible lower salary cap in the future and getting the $31.4 million is smart business.”