FRISCO – Is someone here inside The Star feeding false information to ESPN? Or is Bristol just making up “news” about Dak Prescott on its own?
The world knows that Prescott's contract is up at the end of this season, and that that could be disruptive now and possibly in the long term.
And how does ESPN's Jeremy Fowler advance the ball? He isn't.
he is fiddling with the ball.
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Mr. Fowler's weekend report contains three claims that accomplish nothing except muddying the facts.
4 examples…
1 – “As for Dak,'' Fowler reports, “I've heard from team sources that the idea that the Cowboys don't want to keep Dak Prescott past 2024, when he becomes a free agent next year, is incorrect.''
This is a red herring.
No one inside The Star has said they don't want Dak long-term. Fowler shoots down “falsehoods” that have no bearing on the conversation.
2- “They still firmly believe in him,” Fowler insists.
This may be a semantic issue. But we'd argue that they're clearly not adamant about paying Prescott what many think is his “market value” — a $60 million APY for the Ducks, as CowboysSI.com reports. We believe that we are seeing this.
If Dallas had such a “firm belief” in Dak, this deal would have already been done.
Furthermore, if their belief, desire, and plan were “solid,” the Cowboys would not leak rumors that they might take a QB at a “high” price in this month's NFL Draft (allegedly). ing).
One more thing about “firm beliefs and aspirations.” How did that “news article” comparing Dak unfavorably to the likes of Blake Bortles and Case Keenum end up in the local paper? How did the Jones family read it and not issue a retaliatory denial/rebuttal?
The obvious theory, of course, is that the Jones family was well aware that the story was about to be published…if you get our sense.
The facts are: Just as Cowboys observers disagree on “what a Duck is,” those in power inside The Star find themselves straddling the fence. .
Prescott, 30, is coming off his best season in history, leading the league with 36 touchdown passes and finishing second in NFL MVP voting.
But despite Jerry Jones' guarantee of a “Super Bowl appearance,” he also couldn't lift Dallas to postseason heights.
Both are true. Both of these things are part of the Cowboys' front office discussion.
Yes, it's a “discussion”. … “Solid” is a more accurate word.
3- “I'd say their pursuit of a contract extension has been pretty passive so far,” Fowler said.
already. you think?
The word “passive” is only appropriate if ESPN considers “passive” to be a synonym for “nothing.”
The Cowboys' approach to extending Dak (and CeeDee Rams, and as far as we know Micah Parsons) was not “reluctant.”
It no longer exists. If you put a smiley face sticker on it, it gives off a deceptive smell that it carries water.
So ESPN is sweetly and lovingly kissing someone's ass here.
Four – “The money is going to be crazy,” Fowler said. “He hits a $61 million cap hit this year.…”
Since Prescott's contract is in line with the Cowboys' original plans, we generally thought he would ultimately be agreed to in Dallas. As part of that plan, it was recognized that there would be a major cap in 2024, which was designed from the outset to be eased over time.
But that's not happening. That indicates there is a problem in Frisco.
And the cap is $55 million. It's not $61 million, as Mr. Fowler says. It's also not “$95 million” in 2025, as my ESPN colleague Adam Schefter erroneously reported, but it still hasn't been corrected, leaving millions of NFL fans misinformed. It's still there.
This is one of the most important stories in Cowboys history and has far-reaching implications. It is imperative that owner Jerry Jones and the company get it right.
It is important that the rest of us do the same.
