Stephen Jones: We’re not nervous to sign Dak Prescott

[Rowdy]

USA TODAY Sports

It’s obvious the Cowboys have issues. The Cowboys weren’t a good team with Dak Prescott. They are a worse team without him.

They have a lot of work to do in the offseason.

Prescott played this season under the franchise tag. He will collect the balance of his $31.4 million franchise-tag salary for 2020 before negotiations begin again. If the Cowboys have to use the franchise tag on Prescott again in 2021, it will cost them $37.68 million.

The Cowboys currently hold the fifth choice in the 2021 draft and play the Bengals, who currently sit third, on Sunday in Cincinnati.

The Cowboys repeatedly have insisted they see Prescott as their quarterback of the future, and Prescott repeatedly has said he wants to remain in Dallas. But it seems complicated with the salary cap expected to decrease and given the holes the Cowboys have on their roster and the players they have scheduled to become free agents.

The Cowboys and Prescott already had a 19-month window in which to negotiate a long-term deal and couldn’t reach an agreement.

But Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones confirmed what everyone already knew: The Cowboys wanted a five-year deal with Prescott and his camp seeking a four-year deal.

“Our issues in our negotiations with Dak have been that we’re wanting to be more committed, in terms of the (number of years). We’re not nervous to sign Dak,” Jones said, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “His makeup is all the right things. He’s a great leader. He’s a great player.”

Prescott’s rehab for surgery to repair a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle Oct. 11 appears to be on track. he is expected to need four to six months before returning to the field.