Jerry Jones on Cowboys Possibly Drafting QB: Dak Prescott 'Is Our Quarterback'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday he still views Dak Prescott as their long-term franchise quarterback despite his season-ending ankle injury and dismissed the potential of using a high pick on the position in the 2021 NFL draft.

Jones was asked during his weekly radio interview on 105.3 The Fan (via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News) whether it was "crazy" to think the team could take a quarterback early in the draft.

"Yes. You asked me if it's crazy to bring that idea up, and I'm answering you 'yes,'" Jones said with a laugh. "We're playing games here, guys. But it's not the thing to be talking about at all. You know, Dak is our quarterback."

The Cowboys, who are tied for the league's third-worst record at 2-7, are going to enter the offseason with plenty of uncertainty, and it starts at quarterback.

Prescott was playing under the one-year, $31.4 million contract associated with the franchise tag before he suffered the ankle injury. He was off to a strong start, completing 68 percent of his throws for 1,856 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions in five games. He added three rushing scores.

The 27-year-old Mississippi State product is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at season's end, but the Cowboys could use the franchise tag again to keep him for another year. That would come with a massive salary-cap hit, though.

If Dallas is focused on keeping him, the best option for both sides may be a short-term extension. It would eliminate any quarterback questions for Jones and Co., while Prescott would get some financial security while working to prove he's back to full strength.

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones said Monday that Prescott is ahead of schedule in his recovery, which was initially set at four months, per Jori Epstein of USA Today.

Getting a top-two pick in the 2021 draft may lead the Cowboys to reevaluate their stance, however.

There are two quarterbacks, Clemson's Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State's Justin Fields, who stand out as the best prospects in the class. In addition, their rookie contracts wouldn't command nearly as much financial investment as a Prescott extension or tag.

Dallas has a lot of holes it must fill before next season, mostly on the defensive side of the ball, and that would be made easier if its quarterback is counting for around $6.6 million against the cap—Joe Burrow's cap hit for the Cincinnati Bengals as the No. 1 overall pick in 2020—rather than upward of $25 million.

Jones wasn't prepared to go down that rabbit hole Tuesday, but it's something they might have to consider depending on where they end up in the 2021 draft order.

That said, a lot of other teams are looking for a new franchise quarterback. It'll make the race for the bottom just as intriguing as the race for the top during the second half of the regular season.