Why the Dallas Cowboys should franchise tag Dak Prescott

While the Dallas Cowboys are urgently trying to avoid the franchise tag for Dak Prescott, it may be wise to use it on their passer for this upcoming season.

It is no secret that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is expecting a big payday. Prescott is coming off a career year, accumulating 4,902 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.

While these numbers are more than impressive, it did not lead to a winning season. The Cowboys disappointed in 2019, finishing just 8-8 on the season. From a team that was expected to compete for the Super Bowl, saying the season did not meet expectations is an understatement.

While Prescott is not solely responsible for the Cowboys’ disappointing season, he did not do enough to counter what was responsible; poor leadership and poor execution. The Cowboys finished just 1-6 in one-possession games this past season with their one win coming against the 3-12-1 Detroit Lions. Teams pay quarterbacks top-tier money for them to win games, and to be able to persevere through tough situations in close games.

Prescott deserves an extension. He has proven he is a valuable starting QB in the NFL by putting up good numbers with a 40-24 record in the regular season. However, the case can be argued that he has had an excellent supporting cast surrounding him throughout his career and it could be seen as a disappointment he has yet to make it past the divisional round of the playoffs.

While Prescott has proven he is worth an extension, he has yet to prove he is worthy of a $40 million annual salary extension. The Cowboys should not overpay just to have him signed, in fear of a potential hold out to start the season. If Prescott won’t sign for $35 million annually, he should be franchise-tagged and given another year to prove his worth.

Putting Prescott on the franchise tag would give him roughly $32.9 million next season. Not only does this increase his annual pay by over $30 million from last season, but it allows him to go into next season with the average top-five salary at his position.

Putting Dak Prescott on the franchise tag allows the Dallas Cowboys to not bind themselves to a big contract with any uncertainty. Yes, this does give Prescott the potential to raise his price even more by leading Dallas into a deep playoff run with stellar numbers. With that being said, the Cowboys would confidently be able to say Prescott has earned his money and could then decide to give him upwards of $40 million per season.