NFL Rumors: Dak Prescott, Cowboys Had 'Early Discussions' About Contract Extension

The Dallas Cowboys and star quarterback Dak Prescott have staged "early discussions" about a contract extension, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

Prescott is in the third year of his four-year, $160 million deal with the team. Howe explained why firming up the two-time Pro Bowler's salary cap figure beyond 2024 is important when CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons will be playing out their rookie contracts over the next few seasons.

"There's a very real possibility the Cowboys will eventually be rostering a quarterback who is earning at least $40 million annually, the highest-paid defensive player in league history and a receiver whose deal could be in the range of $25 million to $30 million per year," Howe wrote.

Prescott told the Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins in March he doesn't "expect to play for any other team" for the duration of his NFL career.

"Now it's just about winning and now it's about to get that done and just to hear the [support from the] front office," he said. "Looking forward to an extension. When that time comes, it will happen. I'm with [director of player personnel Stephen Jones], it may just happen overnight. When it happens, it happens. It will be great."

Perhaps the final agreement will come together quickly. Should negotiations become a protracted affair, it might renew the questions over whether Prescott is the guy who can take the Cowboys over the top.

The 30-year-old took a step backward in 2022. His 238.3 passing yards per game were his fewest since 2017, and his 15 interceptions were the most in the NFL.

Prescott's performance in an NFC divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers left something to be desired as well. He finished 23-of-37 for 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

But the Cowboys did their QB few favors when they traded away Amari Cooper and did little to replace him. Lamb aside, the passing game didn't have many dynamic targets.

Dallas addressed that concern this offseason by acquiring Brandin Cooks from the Houston Texans. Michael Gallup could be back to his best after his recovery from a torn ACL clearly hampered him a year ago.

Prescott could be looking at another 4,000-yard and 30-touchdown season.

Especially if he and the Cowboys haven't finalized a long-term pact by Week 1, his production in 2023 is likely to dictate a lot of the discourse surrounding his contract situation.