The Dallas Cowboys Are in Scramble Mode Following Their Latest Dak Prescott Gaffe
So Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys continue to say quarterback Dak Prescott is the future of the franchise despite still not being able to come to terms with the two-time Pro Bowler on a long-term extension.
However, when the Cowboys released their hype video for the 2021 season soon after the conclusion of Super Bowl 55, Prescott wasnāt included, which the team called a mere āoversightā as they scrambled to do a little damage control after the video was released.
So was this latest gaffe actually an oversight or is there more to it?
Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still havenāt come to terms on a long-term extension
If it seems like itās been years since the discussion of Dak Prescott coming to terms on a long-term extension with the Dallas Cowboys, itās because it has.
Talks of a long-term deal began following the conclusion of Dakās third season in Big D but nothing happened as Prescott reportedly turned down an offer that would have paid him approximately $30 million per season and played the 2019 season, the final year of his rookie deal, with a base salary of $2 million.
Prescott then turned down a five-year/$175 million deal ahead of the 2020 season and played the year under the franchise tag, which paid him $31.4 million, which ended up averaging out to $6.28 million per game as Dak went down in Week 5 with that gruesome ankle injury that ended his season.
The biggest sticking point in the contract negotiations doesnāt seem to be money. The length of the contract is what most believe are holding things up as the Cowboys wanted at least a five-year deal while Dak was wanting four so he could get back on the market as soon as possible and capitalize on the NFLās new TV deals that will likely lead to a large rise in the salary cap.
Negotiations are a bit trickier this time around as nobody really knows just yet what the 2021 cap will be outside of knowing thereās a $175 million floor. Teams can start tagging players on February 23 and most believe thatās what the Dallas Cowboys will again do with Dak Prescott. If that happens, heād make $37.7 million in 2021.
The two sides would still have until mid-July to work out an actual contract extension but thereās certainly a strong possibility that Prescottās final season with a star on his helmet is the upcoming 2021 campaign. Thereās also a chance itās already happened.
Dak Prescott was left out of the Dallas Cowboysā 2021 hype video
Itās not uncommon for teams to release hype videos for the following season just after the Super Bowl ends and thatās exactly what the Dallas Cowboys did earlier this week, which you can view above.
Cowboys legends Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were included, as were current Dallas stars Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and DeMarcus Lawrence, among others.
But Dak Prescott was nowhere to be seen and it didnāt take long for social media to notice. Numerous folks trolled the Cowboys for not including Prescott, including Dakās older brother, Tad, whoās never had any problem speaking his mind on his brotherās situation.
The reaction to the video quickly sent the Dallas Cowboys into scramble mode and they actually took the team to release a statement on the matter.
The team went into scramble mode following the āoversightā
The backlash for Dak Prescott not being included in the video came extremely quickly, which sent the Dallas Cowboys into damage-control mode. The teamās Senior Director of Media and Programming, Derek Eagleton, even went so far as to make a statement on the matter (h/t USA Today).
āThis was simply an oversight that should have been caught and corrected by us. Anyone whoās making it seem like Cowboysā decision makers use social media videos to make statements doesnāt understand or take the time to understand how it all works. Trust me, thereās no story here.ā
Dallas Cowboys Senior Director of Media and Programming Derek Eagleton
Overall, that statement is probably true. After all, Dak Prescott technically isnāt even under contract with the Dallas Cowboys right now. But, again, Jerry Jones & Co. continue to say that No. 4 is the future.
As it always goes in Big D, this will certainly be an interesting and entertaining offseason.