Stephen Jones drops major hint on Dak Prescott's Cowboys future

Dallas Cowboys fans who finished the season upset with quarterback Dak Prescott will have to come to grips with reality.

The franchise's plan is to extend his contract soon, according to EVP Stephen Jones, son of owner Jerry Jones.

Prescott is entering the third season on a four-year, $160 contract he signed before the 2021 season. He has a base salary of $31 million for 2023 while holding a cap hit of $49.1 million, which is the highest on the Cowboys' roster and the third-highest in the entire league for 2023.

"We've got to have a plan to ultimately extend Dak," Stephen Jones said.

The cap hit can be lowered if he signs an extension, and this would represent a major relief for Dallas. According to Spotrac, the team is $7.5 million over the salary cap limit for 2023 and needs to clean it up before the new league year begins in mid-March. Only nine teams have less cap space available than the Cowboys.

Extending Dak now would also allow the team to negotiate a lower number. With Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Tua Tagovailoa and Jalen Hurts set to earn major contract extensions this offseason, prices will only go up in the quarterback market. Jerry Jones can anticipate any further problems by extending Dak now.

Should the Cowboys extend Dak Prescott's contract?

Fans have every right to be upset with the quarterback following a string of poor performances that led to an elimination in the NFC Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers, but the reality is that there aren't many quarterbacks better than Dak Prescott in the NFL.

He's a star for the team and has been a consistent player ever since his rookie year in 2016. He's been voted to the Pro Bowl twice, and many of the team's failures can be attributed to the coaching and a lack of consistent defensive play instead of him, who had his share of problems with ball security in 2022.

Prescott will remain the franchise quarterback in Dallas for a long time. He's one of the best players in the league in the position, and if he hits the open market, there are going to be a dozen suitors ready to give him whatever he wants. Jerry Jones knows this, and he doesn't want to lose a great player.