Jerry Jones insists he believes in Dak Prescott, but QB’s long-term future in doubt

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn’t really “all-in” this season in terms of pushing his chips to the middle of the table like the Rams did in the 2021 season. But he said he is all-in on quarterback Dak Prescott, which is why he believes, despite the team’s free agency losses, that the Cowboys will have a chance in 2024.

“We think he’s a great quarterback. That is really the gist of what we’re about this year. We’ve got Dak,” Jones said, via Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “I think Dak will be at the top of his game. I’ve said that I do think he will improve from where he is now. I think we’ll have that.”

Prescott, though, has the Cowboys painted in a corner.

He and the team haven’t reached agreement on a long-term deal, so his $55.455 million cap hit weighs heavily on their salary cap.

The Cowboys could let Prescott play out his contract, which expires after this season, but regardless where he’s playing in 2025, the quarterback will count $40.460 million against the Cowboys’ cap in 2025.

“I’m an American entrepreneur,” Jones said. “I get up wanting everybody to have opportunity to make more money. I live that stuff, so I’m not going to criticize anybody for making more money.”

At the same time, Jones isn’t shy about wanting Prescott to take a team-friendly deal. That would give the team more salary cap space to pay edge rusher Micah Parsons and receiver CeeDee Lamb, who will get top-of-the-market deals at their positions, and to get better players around Prescott.

Left tackle Tyron Smith, third receiver Michael Gallup, center Tyler Biadasz and running back Tony Pollard are players off last year’s offense who the Cowboys couldn’t afford to keep.

“As you address a player like Dak, you take away from his supporting cast,” Jones said. “That’s not a sales job. Everybody realizes, if you get the bucks, someone else who can help you win doesn’t. That’s factual.”

The Cowboys’ desire for Prescott to take less than what he wants also is what strung out contract talks for two years before he signed his second deal. It’s also what prevented them from extending the deal after 2022.

Now, they are where they are.

They — or someone else after this season — will make Prescott among the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league despite his lack of playoff success. Jones, though, insists the Cowboys still believe Prescott can get them where they haven’t been since 1995.

“When I think of Dak, he’s one of those in the top paid that haven’t won that I think can,” Jones said. “I think there are a handful or more of quarterbacks playing who haven’t won a Super Bowl that will win a Super Bowl. I think Dak is one of them. I’m firm there.”