Report: Cowboys have offered Dak Prescott more than Jared Goff and Carson Wentz, issue is with length

Monday brought with it the news that the Dallas Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Dak Prescott. Tagging quarterbacks isn’t something that historically ends all too well. Obviously there is Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints, but to the point of many there is Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins. A franchise tag brings with it an inherent “disrespect” in the minds of many.

Cowboys fans should all be hopeful that they get a long-term deal done with Prescott shortly. The last thing you want for your NFL team is a stalemate with its most important player, and unfortunately that is technically where we are.

Cowboys don’t feel there is “disrespect” with franchise tag

If you thought news of the tag was the only Prescott-centric news that would drop on Monday, well you had another thing coming.

Late Monday evening ESPN’s Chris Mortensen tweeted what felt like a message from the Cowboys. They don’t feel that there is any disrespect associated with the franchise tag.

Contract length has been a topic of discussion for a while concerning Dak Prescott. Obviously the shorter the deal the better for him as the sooner his deal is up, the sooner he hits free agency and can cash in once more (all players generally feel this way).

It is important to note that both Jared Goff and Carson Wentz each received four-year contract extensions with their respective teams last year. If the Cowboys are truly trying to follow the model set by Prescott’s fellow draftees then his extension should theoretically be for four years. The problem here, for the Cowboys, is that this would put Prescott back into free agency a year sooner than Goff and Wentz.

You see, both Goff and Wentz were first-round picks, picks one and two in 2016, which means that they had a fifth-year option on their rookie deal. This is technically what 2020 is for them which means their extensions don’t truly kick in until next year and that they are signed through 2024. It would take another year for Dak to match them, which is why a five-year deal makes sense for the Cowboys.

Of course if you’re Dak, why would you surrender a year that could put you closer to free agency? If the total guaranteed money was worth it then maybe you would, but it would stand to reason that this isn’t necessarily the case as an extension hasn’t been finalized between the quarterback and team.

It should also be noted that of the cornerstone players that the Cowboys have done long-term extensions with in recent memory that none of them were shorter than five-year extensions. If Dak were to get a four-year deal then it would be the first.