Dak Prescott's viral shot at Cowboys owner Jerry Jones foreshadows contract saga endgame

When Jerry Jones talks, love him or hate him, Dallas Cowboys fans tend to listen closely. That's even more so the case in 2024 as the team has navigated murky waters all year surrounding the now finalized contract extension to CeeDee Lamb and the pending deal for Dak Prescott. 

However, the Cowboys quarterback has made it a point not to listen to what the Cowboys owner has to say to the media. Wisely so. The reasoning is simple, as the educated Cowboys fan might be aware of: Jerry says a lot of stuff just to rile up the fanbase and get the media talking about his team. He has even admitted to this tactic before.

"I stopped, honestly, listening to things (Jerry) says to the media a long time ago," Prescott told reporters on Thursday. "It doesn’t really hold weight with me.”

Well, that very same day, it was Prescott's quotes to the media that were making national headlines. Particularly, two of them, including the above, which many perceived the above as a shot at the front office. That's a way of framing it which I'd question given the quarterback probably meant he understands Jones' media tactics to keep the conversation centered around the Cowboys and nothing more. What is said behind closed doors is what really matters to Dak. 

Instead, it was the other viral Prescott quote that really caught my attention as a clear shot at the front office and most importantly, an explicit interpretation from Prescott that could foreshadow the endgame of the ongoing contract saga. 

When asked if he needed a deal done before the season, Prescott replied after a brief pause: "I don't need a (deal), no." This was followed by an intriguing series of questions and answers in which the second-team All-Pro quarterback chose his words wisely. For clarity purposes, I'll just share exactly how it went down: 

Q: Would you like it done before the season?

Dak: I think it says a lot if it is or if it isn't. But however, it doesn't really matter to me, to be honest with you.

Q: What does it say if it isn't?

Dak: Just how people feel.

Q: Which people?

Dak (with a smile): I don't know. 

The interaction was certainly significant as the Cowboys and Prescott have suggested there's no rush to get anything done. However, this was a clear stance from the quarterback: If there's no deal in place by the time the season starts just over a week from today, the Cowboys' feelings will be clear as day. 

They can say they want Prescott running the franchise for a long time but words only go so far. Now it's time for actions to take center stage and prove it. As Doctor Strange tells Tony Stark upon handing Thanos the last infinity stone, "We're in the endgame now."

Prescott has revealed before that he's withdrawn himself from the negotiation process as he shifts his focus to football and football only but has said that he's not setting a deadline to strike a deal to stay in Dallas. With that being said, Prescott's price tag is likely going up by the minute as each passing day gets him closer to free agency in 2025. That's leverage. If he reaches the open market, the Cowboys will have to outbid other quarterback-desperate franchises that will be making offers for one of the biggest free agents in NFL history. 

Prescott and his agent, Todd France, perfectly understand this. The fact that they're not setting a deadline to reach an agreement shouldn't be confused with the fact that it's much better for the Cowboys to settle this whole thing now. 

Dak is a great football player but his smarts go beyond the football field. He knows what he's doing when he talks to the media. Thursday's message was more than a simple jab at the front office. It was a significant statement reflecting what playing on a contract year (again) would say about how the franchise values him.

The Jones family has nine days to prove they do. Otherwise, the price tag will keep going up.