Cowboys' Dak Prescott Says Late Brother Jace Is Part of Reason He Became a QB

Jace Prescott, the older brother of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, died in April at the age of 31.  

On Wednesday, Prescott spoke to reporters about his brother and dealing with his loss during a press conference:

"It's tough, obviously. He meant a lot to my family, meant a lot to me. He's part of the reason I am a quarterback. When I was a little kid, he's the reason that I first started throwing the football. It's been a tough year. It's been a tough year for me personally. It's been a tough year for my family. It's been a tough year for this country and this world, obviously. So, it's all been tough, but I have a great family to count on, to lean on. Great supporters here, great teammates, great coaches. People that helped me get through it." 

Prescott also lost his mother Peggy in 2013 to colon cancer. 

"I have the obligation to live on and carry on another legacy," the Cowboys quarterback added. "So now it's not just my mother, but it's my brother as well. And I'll continue to do that in every walk of my life."

Prescott, 27, is entering the final season of his contract with the Cowboys, and the lack of a contract extension this offseason remains the top storyline surrounding the team. Unsurprisingly, Prescott was asked about those ongoing talks Wednesday. 

"I grew up wanting to be a Dallas Cowboy and I am, and I've got dreams of being a Dallas Cowboy until I'm done throwing the football," he told reporters. "None of that's going to change just because we couldn't reach an agreement there for this season. But as I said, I'm a Cowboy right now and that's all that matters and that's my whole focus."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the unique circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to negotiate and finish such an important contract. 

"We just couldn't get together at this particular point," he noted. "It's easily worth nothing a lot of people this year in franchise mode didn't get together."

Granted, the coronavirus didn't stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs from agreeing on a record-setting 10-year, $503 million extension. That deal reshaped the quarterback market, and surely raised Prescott's price tag. That leaves the Cowboys with two choices going forward: Use the franchise tag one last time in 2021, or pay Prescott major money in a long-term deal.