[ad_1]
FRISCO, Texas – If there was any doubt from anyone regarding Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott’s future with the Dallas Cowboys, Executive Vice President Stephen Jones made it clear Monday that the two will be back. with the Cowboys in 2021.
When asked if McCarthy would be safe regardless of the end of the 2020 season, with the Cowboys holding a 2-7 record and in the midst of a four-game losing streak, Jones said, “Absolutely. equivocal. “
As for Prescott, Jones once again said he was part of the team’s long-term plans even as he was recovering from a fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that required end surgery. of the season. Right now, the Cowboys are in the top-five in next spring’s draft, but Jones said the quarterback wouldn’t be a discussion.
“Dak is our quarterback and we’re so excited about him and him leading us into the future,” Jones said.
Prescott was guaranteed $ 31.4 million on the franchise label in 2020 and the two sides were unable to come to a long-term deal last July. If the Cowboys used the franchise tag on Prescott in 2021, it would cost $ 37.7 million. The Cowboys offered Prescott a five-year contract approaching nearly $ 35 million a year, including a $ 50 million signing bonus and $ 111 million guaranteed, but the quarterback chose to play the season on the label.
One of the top five picks in the 2021 draft envisions a four-year contract that would be guaranteed to roughly $ 40 million, plus a fifth-year option.
Jones offered a positive assessment of Prescott’s recovery after surgery.
“This is a four month injury other than a setback and so far all we get from (associate athletic coach Britt Brown) and medics is he’s ahead of schedule.” Jones said. “So yeah, he’s managed to avoid any setbacks and in fact he’s ahead of schedule which shouldn’t surprise the way he’s doing after any challenge. He’s top speed with Dak and he did a great job at this point. “
Prescott’s absence greatly affected McCarthy’s first year, as did other key injuries to tackles Tyron Smith and La’el Collins and tight end Blake Jarwin.
McCarthy signed a five-year contract with the Cowboys in January to replace Jason Garrett. The idea was to get a Super Bowl-winning coach to take control of what the organization considered to be an out-of-the-box suitor, but it didn’t work that way, in part because injuries, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and bad play.
“You change a culture. You change when you change leadership,” Jones said. “And we definitely love the stability. That’s why we’ve been with Jason for 10 years and we know these things don’t happen overnight when it comes to when you change things. that we had an unprecedented environment with the virus. and Mike and his team were unable to have any interaction with the team other than virtual. There are challenges, but there are many other new members of the staff who had the same challenges. You put that in there and then you throw the injuries that we had to work on and that has certainly been a big challenge. We will continue to work everyday and improve as a team of football. “
Regardless, the Cowboys still have a shot at making the playoffs, mostly due to the seriousness of the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles lead the division with a 3-4-1 record. Even though the Cowboys lost 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, they gained confidence as they pushed the league’s only undefeated team to the edge, while starting their fourth different quarterback of the season: Garrett Gilbert.
Jones has said that once Andy Dalton passes concussion and COVID-19 protocols, he will be the Cowboys starter again, despite a strong display from Gilbert, who was making the first start of his career.
Jones actually used the McCarthy Packers story to illustrate his point. In 2006, the Packers started 4-8, won their last four games, and entered the NFC Championship game with a 13-3 record the following season.
“I think we’re coming,” Jones said. “You have to take a deep breath on these things. Definitely keep your confidence in the decisions you made. I think we’ll go to work every week. I know Mike started the same way in Green Bay in terms of his la first year there they finished strong and it’s definitely our goal here is to finish strong and compete in the East and we’ll go from there.
[ad_2]
Source link