Dak Prescott's Cowboys contract comment is classic breakup talk

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is in the final year of his contract. Should Jerry Jones fail to extend Prescott prior to the regular season, Dallas risks losing him altogether.

Sure, Prescott has his shortcomings, as do the Cowboys. In a way, they are perfect for each other. However, replacing Dak with another quarterback of his caliber would not be an easy task -- Prescott was considered an MVP frontrunner at points in the 2023 campaign. We shouldn't forget that, even though the Cowboys ultimately fell flat again in the postseason. Recency bias has a habit of clouding the vision of even the greatest front offices.

Will the Dallas Cowboys keep Dak Prescott?

On the surface, both Jerry Jones and Prescott have said all the right things. The Cowboys want Dak to remain in Dallas, and Prescott would prefer to wear a star on his helmet for the rest of his career. The money involved in a new extension is the holdup, as Prescott has a legitimate argument to be one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in football. His stats back that up, though the lack of playoff success is concerning for Dallas.

"I'm not going to say I fear being here or not. I don't fear either situation, to be candid with you. I love this game and love to play and love to better myself as a player and my teammates around me. Right now it's with the Dallas Cowboys, it's where I want to be, and that's where I am, and that's the focus. And after the season we'll see where we're at and if the future holds that. And if not, we'll go from there," Prescott said about the prospect of leaving the Cowboys.

Dak Prescott's standoff with Jerry Jones isn't a good sign

Right now it's with the Dallas Cowboys. Right now. We'll see what the future holds. If not?

There are phrases Prescott openly used to describe his future in Dallas, and they are fair assessments. He hasn't been presented with a competitive offer, and despite some chatter that he'd take a team-friendly deal so the Cowboys can add more talent around him, it'll still cost Jones a pretty penny.

For the Cowboys sake, putting off a Prescott extension to the summer isn't a good option. The longer this saga goes, the more likely it is that Prescott comes to the conclusion that a fresh start is what he needs to flourish.