Dak Prescott putting a positive spin on nonexistent extension talks with Cowboys

Dak Prescott seems to think a contract extension is in the best interest of both parties. He'd like some more long-term stability with the Dallas Cowboys, and the Cowboys, well...they need to get his cap hit for 2024 down.

That's seemingly why Prescott is talking the right kind of game as he heads into the 2024 season. As it stands, it would be his last under contract with the Cowboys. 

Per ESPN, there have not been "substantial" contract talks between the Cowboys and Prescott's agent, Todd France.

"I'm definitely confident. Obviously, it helps the team. It's important for the numbers ... That is a process. Both sides understand that. Everything's great. It'll happen," Prescott recently said while at a charity event.

Everything is great for Prescott, but for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys, the scenario may not be so cut and dry.

Prescott is undoubtedly one of the league's more consistent quarterbacks, but one of his biggest problems is he's consistently proven to come up small in big moments, especially in the playoffs. He's only 2-5 as a playoff quarterback.

No one would question the Cowboys if they felt that he wasn't the long-term option for this team anymore, but the problem here for Dallas is that Prescott's contract as it is makes it very hard to play the short game and simply just allow him to play out the contract.

As is, he'll count $59.45 million against the cap in 2024 with $29 million in base salary plus a $5 million roster bonus due on the fifth day of the new league year (which starts March 13).

The Cowboys can bring down the cap number significantly by extending Prescott, but that would also mean committing to him for more than the 2024 season. 

Keep in mind that the contract the two sides negotiated in 2021 contains a no-trade clause as well as a stipulation that disallows the Cowboys from placing the franchise tag on Prescott in 2025.

For what it's worth, Jones has not been shy about saying that Prescott is "the guy" for his franchise. 

He didn't commit to what Dallas' plans are for Prescott's contract while speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, but he certainly committed to the quarterback himself.

"What we do there or don't do, I couldn't say at this time, but the main thing is he's going to be our quarterback," Jones had said.