Stephen Jones says that Dak Prescott’s injury didn’t impact his value in contract negotiations

We are still not even a week removed from Dak Prescott being lost for the season with an ankle injury. But Prescott’s contract negotiations are going to be a talking point from now all the way through the deadline for franchise tagged players to negotiate a deal with their team in 2021 (barring a long-term extension before that). Like Biff taking the sports almanac back to 1955, an alternate timeline was created last Sunday afternoon when one of Dak’s most objective truths - that he had never missed a game due to injury - unraveled.

The business of football is often void of emotion and that is simply how business tends to work. It has been thought by many that the events of the last week will impact how the Cowboys negotiate with the most important player on their team, but Stephen Jones is saying that this isn’t going to be the case.

Stephen Jones says that Dak Prescott’s injury didn’t impact his value in contract negotiations

It’s hard to put the toothpaste back in the proverbial tube which is why negotiations between Prescott’s representation and the Cowboys will be interesting to say the least next spring. We all know that the quarterback preferred a contract of shorter length while the team preferred one of longer, this will likely be a discussion point whenever talks do resume.

Will things swing in any direction when the two sides meet at a table (perhaps in a socially distanced setting) next spring? The MMQB’s Albert Breer spoke with Stephen Jones recently and it doesn’t seem like this will be the case. At least, that’s what Stephen is saying.

As Jones said, now everyone has finality on that part of it. We know Prescott won’t play again this year. We also know that when, by rule of the franchise tag, negotiations can pick back up after Dallas’s season ends, Prescott will still be rehabbing.

And as Jones and I spoke, I figured that could cloud the situation come January or February.

Instead, Jones told me the team’s approach to Prescott won’t be shaken, even a little.

“Doesn’t change anything,” he said. “We’re all in on trying to get it done. Doesn’t change a thing.”

Then, I raised another tag—which would cost $37.7 million—and the point was driven home.

“Like I said, nothing changes,” he said “There is zero change in his contract negotiation status, how much we want to get him signed. Nothing changes. He didn’t lose value. Nothing. It’s a continually work in progress. Obviously, it’s been a challenge for us, in that we haven’t gotten it done, especially with how bad I know he wants to be a Cowboy.

“And I know how bad we want him to be the leader of this team for the next 10, 12 years.”

So in case you were wondering where the Cowboys stand, there it is.

It is necessary to say that this might just be something that Stephen is saying. It could very well be him being truthful. Negotiations are an always-ongoing thing and take place in places beyond the aforementioned table. We are obviously all hoping that the Cowboys and Prescott are able to find terms that they both agree on, but they have been trying to do so for a year and a half at this point.

Do you buy what Stephen is saying? Do you think this is a comment in the immediate fallout of everything changing? Do you think it’s a combination of all factors?