Jerry Jones is prepared to tag quarterback Dak Prescott again in 2021, according to numerous sources with knowledge of the situation, setting up another offseason of negotiations between the beloved player and the front office.
Prescott suffered a season-ending broken ankle in Week 5, with the emotional video of him being carted off the field becoming one of the lasting images of this 2020 season. Prescott is expected to make a full recovery, sources said, and there are no structural concerns with the ankle moving forward, though there is a risk of infection whenever a bone breaks the skin with an injury such as this. The Cowboys continue to view Prescott as their quarterback of the future, and he was among the most prolific passers in the NFL this season prior to his injury.
While the sides could not come to terms on a long-term extension last offseason, there remains ample reasons to anticipate them doing so in 2021, albeit with a salary that will exceed $40M a season when the quarterback is healthy. The Cowboys already had to budget for the potential of carrying Prescott in 2021 at roughly $38M in cash (and against the cap) in the event he played out next season on a second straight franchise tag. The injury has not altered their willingness to do that, sources said, and that remains a near certainty come February when the period to apply the tag is scheduled to begin.
Jones has a deep affinity for Prescott, which was unwavering despite a negotiating process that was far from smooth, and views him as an essential player in his quest to win another Lombardi Trophy. The quarterback was poised to exceed his totals from a standout 2019 season, and it's difficult for people in that organization who know the owner well to consider a future for the franchise that does not include Prescott under center. Prescott is just entering his prime, and though the sides will surely have some financial gaps to bridge in determining his ultimate worth on a multi-year deal, that process was virtually certain to begin after a second franchise tag was applied, and that remains the case.
The Cowboys have already had internal discussions about the matter, I'm told, and the tag is viewed as an inevitability at this point and a precursor to talks aimed at securing Prescott's rights well beyond 2021.
