Dak Prescott contract: Jerry Jones gives massive clue on upcoming negotiations with Cowboys QB

Dak Prescott signed a record-setting contract with the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the 2021 NFL season that's worth $160 million across four years. He is now in year three of that deal, so many rumors have been swirling about his potential contract negotiations with owner Jerry Jones.

While Prescott is under contract for another year after this season, it's entirely possible that negotiations for a new deal could begin during the offseason. Many owners prefer to avoid forcing their quarterbacks to play out the final year of a contract, and players often prefer the security of a longer-term deal as well.

Doing so also avoids the risk of pending free agency when the deal expires, so it can be mutually beneficial to get an extension done a year early. The issue is that there is no guarantee that Jones is looking to extend Prescott on another massive contract. The veteran quarterback will be 32 years old when his deal expires, and he has little playoff success to fall back on.

Jerry Jones has made it clear that he expects the current version of the Dallas Cowboys to win a Super Bowl in the near future. This has caused much speculation that he could choose to move on from Dak Prescott if he fails to make a deep postseason run this year.

Jones gave some insight on his opinion of his quarterback on ESPN's "Get Up":

"I'm trying to be as realistic as I could be, and I wouldn't trade our position for a better one today. It has everything to do with how healthy we are at key spots. I think Dak is the best he's ever been in his career, and I think if you can go into this part of your season in the NFL, and your quarterback is playing at this level, you've got an outstanding chance to come home happy."

Dak Prescott has been having one of the best seasons of his career, including leading the NFL with 30 touchdown passes while still throwing only seven interceptions entering Week 17.

While Jerry Jones seems impressed with Prescott's performance as an MVP candidate, his decision on a contract extension may still hinge on improvements during the playoffs, where Prescott has traditionally struggled.

Dak Prescott's playoff career

While his statistics during the NFL playoffs have been solid, it hasn't translated to a strong postseason record with the Dallas Cowboys.

Dak Prescott has appeared in six playoff games, averaging 260 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. The issue is that he has won just two of those six games. He has also never advanced past the divisional round in any of his four playoff trips.

Jerry Jones wants another Super Bowl ring immediately, so he may require significant progress from Prescott in the playoffs this year before giving Prescott another big contract extension.