As the 2024-25 NFL season approaches, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott are still without a contract extension, casting a shadow over the team’s upcoming campaign. With negotiations stalling, the situation has escalated into a public exchange of comments between Prescott and Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, hinting at potential friction as the season kicks off.
Jones addressed the ongoing contract situation on Wednesday, shortly after the Cowboys secured wide receiver CeeDee Lamb with a four-year, $136 million extension, told NFL. When asked about the status of Prescott’s contract talks, Jones offered a pointed response, suggesting that Prescott’s value has already been established.
“You could easily say, if you hadn’t seen it by now, you haven’t seen it,” Jones told reporters, as reported by The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “Needing to see, I just gave an explanation where when you look at a situation, you’ve also got to weigh, ‘OK, what are the consequences of the other side of the coin?’ Dak’s situation right now for me has more to do with our situation than it does with the merits of Dak Prescott being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.”
Jones further elaborated on his stance, expressing a pragmatic view of contract negotiations: “I quit a long time ago getting bent out of shape about having anybody under contract or not. There are all kinds of things other than a contract that could change the outcome of him being under contract: injury, level of play. So you can’t just pick that and say that should give you a better feeling about our team or me a better feeling. The whole thing has a lot of moving parts.”
The day after Jones’ comments, Prescott was asked for his thoughts on the remarks. The eight-year veteran, well aware of Jones’ penchant for speaking to the media, dismissed the comments, emphasizing that they don’t influence his approach or mindset.
“I stopped, honestly, listening to things [Jones] says to the media a long time ago,” Prescott said. “It really doesn’t hold weight with me.”
Prescott’s response highlights the tension that could build as the season progresses without a contract extension. Prescott, who led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes last season and completed 70% of his passes for 4,516 yards, holds significant leverage. With the quarterback market booming—players like Jared Goff, Trevor Lawrence, and Jordan Love have recently signed lucrative extensions—Prescott’s price tag is only likely to rise.
Currently in the final year of his four-year, $160 million contract, Prescott is set to earn $29 million this season. Notably, his contract includes clauses preventing the Cowboys from placing a franchise tag on him or trading him, positioning Prescott to become an unrestricted free agent at 31 years old if no extension is reached.
While there is still time to reach an agreement before the season begins, the public back-and-forth between Prescott and Jones suggests that this situation could become increasingly contentious—if it hasn’t already.