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TAMPA, Fla – Dak Prescott isn’t going anywhere.
Sources say the Dallas Cowboys will make an effort to sign their quarterback to a long-term contract before the March 9 deadline for franchise tag application – a sign they are confident in the Prescott’s continued recovery after several ankle surgeries that he fractured in October.
If no deal is struck, the Cowboys would tag Prescott a second time at a cost of around $ 37.7 million to keep him from hitting the free-agent market, the sources say.
Dallas made a similar effort last season, both in March and before the July 15 deadline to sign multi-year contracts for franchise players. But the parties couldn’t come to an agreement and Prescott, 27, played the season on the $ 31.409 million tag.
Prescott suffered a fractured and dislocated right ankle on Oct. 11 in a win over the New York Giants, leaving the field on a cart and in tears. He had an operation that night, during which the doctors’ main concern was to prevent infection, and they did it successfully.
Sources say Prescott underwent a second – and previously unreported – ankle surgery about two months later to strengthen his deltoid ligament, cleanse the ankle and make it more structurally healthy. This procedure was not directly related to the October surgery; instead, doctors spotted problems with previous injuries to the same ankle, so once the risk of infection was gone, they went back to clean up the rest.
After the second surgery in early December, Prescott had to take about a week of rehabilitation leave to let the wound heal, but this improved the stability and integrity of the ankle and should speed up its overall recovery, the sources say. He now walks smoothly, does weight-bearing exercises and should be ready for action well before the start of the 2021 season.
This is one of the reasons why there are no medical issues, sources say, for the Cowboys in regards to offering Prescott a nine-figure contract that would place him among the lowest players. highest paid in the NFL. If anything, Prescott is seen a bit ahead of schedule in what was originally slated as a four to six month upturn.
Making a long-term deal now would help the Cowboys from a salary cap perspective at a time when NFL teams brace for the cap to drop in 2021, as they could spread the signing bonus over multiple years instead. to carry the full $ 37,690,800 on their label. cap for months in hopes of reaching a deal in July.
It remains to be seen whether Prescott is motivated to close a deal early after betting on himself with essentially one-year deals over the past two seasons.
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