NFL insider outlines why Cowboys’ Dak Prescott plan is “even more dangerous” than $33,000,000 franchise tag approach in 2020

NFL insider Jori Epstein has shared her views on Dak Prescott signing a four-year, $160 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys following the 2020 season.

The deal will expire after the 2024–25 NFL campaign. As the days go by, it seems less and less likely that the organization will negotiate an extension with the quarterback anytime soon. Prescott could enter free agency in 2025, and the team doesn't seem to have a clear plan on what to do.

Recently, senior NFL reporters Charles Robinson and Jori Epstein joined sports and entertainment host Jason Fitz to discuss Prescott's contract discussions, which appear to be going on the wrong path. A part of Epstein tweet reads:

"The Cowboys have played this game with Dak's contract before. But this time, it's more dangerous."

According to Epstein, the Cowboys could be risking a lot by waiting to extend Prescott's deal than they did when they put a $33 million exclusive franchise tag on him in 2020.

That's because after the 2024 season, they will no longer have any influence on the player's choices. In 2021, Prescott signed a four-year contract extension with Dallas that contains a clause prohibiting the Cowboys from applying the franchise tag on him.

Prescott will become a free agent in the upcoming offseason if the organization is unable to reach an agreement with him, and they can't also tag him. Given that Prescott has eventual control over his NFL future due to a no-trade clause in his contract, the situation for the Cowboys appears bleak.

Jerry Jones, the Dallas Cowboys owner, will be forced to either pay Dak Prescott's salary demands or let him walk free next season due to the terms of his contract.

Although the quarterback's lackluster postseason performance is cause for concern, the Cowboys are unlikely to find a clear-cut replacement anytime soon.

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Could Dak Prescott's next contract make him one of the five best-paid QBs in the NFL?

Dak Prescott will likely ask the Dallas Cowboys for the highest paying quarterback contract in the NFL on his next deal.

Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million agreement, making him the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL last year.

However, he's expected to lose that status this offseason. According to Jordan Schultz, the Cowboys are poised to make Prescott the highest-paid player in the NFL with a contract valued at at least $60 million a season.

That's a lot more than the $55 million Burrow receives from the Cincinnati Bengals annually. According to Spotrac, Dak Prescott is projected to receive a $214 million contract with a guaranteed sum of $169 million over four years.