The Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott have some business to attend to this offseason, but regardless of the choices made, Prescott is unlikely to be with anybody other than the Cowboys when training camp gets started later this summer. The team is looking to sign him to a long-term contract, but if the two sides cannot get a deal done, the organization will use the franchise tag for a second straight year, according to NFL Network.
This isn’t exactly shocking news. A second franchise tag would cost the Cowboys approximately $37.7 million in fully guaranteed money, a year removed from a $31.409 million franchise tag salary.
The Cowboys seem happy with Prescott’s recovery from a fractured ankle. The QB suffered a compound fracture and dislocation in Week 5 and has had two surgical procedures since. He had surgery on the ankle that night, and NFL Network is reporting he had a second unreported procedure approximately two months later “to strengthen his deltoid ligament, clean out the ankle and make it more structurally sound.” The report indicates it was not directly related to the October surgery, but was issues connected to past injuries to the ankle.
Prescott is expected to be ready well in advance of training camp. There’s no indication he would plan on holding out without a long-term deal, but both sides want to get something done. If a deal doesn’t get done this offseason, it only increases the odds Prescott eventually walks as a free agent in the coming years.