Stephen Jones Clarifies Dak Prescott’s Future With the Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are moving ahead in the 2020 campaign after another disappointing injury as star quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending broken ankle. The situation has quickly shifted the conversation over to Prescott’s contract standing with the franchise. That has led to a swift response from Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones to clear up any uncertainty with the matter.
Dak Prescott out for rest of 2020 season
The Cowboys injury woes piled up again in Week 5 as Dak Prescott is out for the season due to a broken ankle.
Prescott experienced a compound fracture and dislocation of his right ankle that occurred on a nine-yard run after he was tackled by Giants defensive back Logan Ryan. The injury required immediate attention that resulted in being put into an air cast and rushed to the hospital.
The bone broke through the skin and needed immediate surgery to avoid any possible infection. It’s the first significant ailment of Prescott’s career that will effectively rule him for the rest of the 2020 season. The initial expectation is that it will take four to six months to heal fully, which should line up for a healthy return well before the 2021 season.
It puts former Pro Bowl quarterback Andy Dalton as the team’s starting quarterback moving forward this year. All that has shifted the discussion over to Prescott’s long-term future in Dallas, which the team has quickly addressed.
Stephen Jones addresses Dak Prescott’s Cowboys future
Dak Prescott’s devastating injury quickly shifts the attention in Dallas over to his future with the team. It puts his contractual standing with the Cowboys at the forefront as he’s under the franchise tag this season.
That alone has brought forth questions about his status with the organization. During an interview on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Monday, team vice president Stephen Jones quickly shot down any notion that the injury will change Prescott’s outlook as the franchise cornerstone under center for years to come.
“Absolutely not. He’s our future. He’s special. If anybody can overcome anything, it would be Dak. This is something that our doctors feel good that he will overcome and come back better than ever.”
Jones’ response shows that the Cowboys are quite confident that Prescott can return to form if not better from the injury. It’s a significant setback, but it hasn’t wavered the franchise’s confidence in his ability.
What it signals more than anything else is that the Cowboys are committed to making it work long-term with the 27-year-old well beyond the 2020 campaign.
Only time will tell in Dallas
In the wake of Dak Prescott’s injury, it puts the Cowboys in quite an interesting situation.
Dallas’ commitment to Prescott as their long-term answer under center has continued to stay firm. The roadblock has been the inability to agree to an extension that would satisfy both sides. The hurdle in the contract talks in the offseason came down to him wanting a four-year deal while the Cowboys wanted to extend to it five years.
There is a strong mutual interest, which will be put to the test again next offseason. Dallas still holds the upper hand in the discussion with the option to place the franchise tag on Prescott for the 2021 season.
However, that would once again put a band-aid on the situation and push the extension talks further down the line. Only time will tell what will unfold, but it’s a matter that both sides want to square away .
