Reading Time: 2 minutes

After a super long year of little to no progress in contract talks, the Dallas Cowboys have signed Dak Prescott to a franchise tag worth $31.4 million.

Dak Prescott has been the “star” QB of the Dallas Cowboys since his sensational Rookie of the Year season in 2016, after replacing Tony Romo who got injured in the preseason. He lead the Cowboys to a 13-3 season, which was the best record in the NFL. However, Dak has yet to bring the Cowboys back to their top tier form since.

A lot more is going into Dak’s decisions besides how much cash is involved. While $31 million may seem like a lot to you and I, Dak and his agent have put a lot of thought into what they want for the future of his career.

One of the biggest disagreements the two sides had while negotiating was the contract term. It is believed Dak and his agent wanted a 4 year deal, while Jerry and the Cowboys wanted 5 years.

In the 2022 season, a new TV deal will  be put in place, resulting in the salary caps to sky rocket giving Dak a chance to make even more money. With a 4 year deal he’ll be able to make more money right away.

The Cowboys wanted a 5 year deal since it’s more ideal to release a player in case of an injury or they aren’t meeting expectations.

Although Dak wasn’t signed to either one of these, the franchise tag can still result in a better future contract. Patrick Mahomes will accordingly break the QB market this next offseason by signing a contract worth $42 million per year. This would be a league record resulting in more QBs making more money than ever.

Even though a franchise tag has been put into place, the deadline for a new deal is July 15th. This means there’s still a chance Dak can get a long term deal before next season starts.

Kirk Cousins, in last season’s matchup against the Cowboys and Vikings, said, “Hey, whatever happens, don’t be afraid of the tag. It can be your friend, and you can use it to your advantage.”

Dak has taken the advice and he has complete leverage now when it comes to his next contract. If he gets tagged for a 2nd time next year then he’d be due for 120% of this year’s salary, and if he signs a long term contract then it’s a win for him as well.

Photo: Ron Jenkins/AP