As Dak Prescott continues to navigate the complexities of negotiating a new contract with the Dallas Cowboys, the star quarterback made it clear on Thursday that he no longer pays attention to what team owner Jerry Jones says publicly.
“Honestly, I stopped listening to the things he says to the media a long time ago,” Prescott shared in an interview, as reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer. “It doesn’t really hold weight with me.”
Prescott’s candid remarks come in the wake of Jones’ viral response to a question about what more he needs to see from his All-Pro quarterback before finalizing a new deal. Jones, in his typical style, offered a cryptic yet pointed answer: “You could easily say, ‘If you haven’t seen it by now, you haven’t seen it.’ … When you look at a situation, you’ve got to also weigh, ‘OK, what are the consequences of the other side of the coin?'” Jones said on Wednesday, according to Archer. “And so, Dak’s situation right now, from my perspective, has more to do with our overall team situation than it does with the merits of Dak Prescott being the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys.”
While Jones has consistently expressed his desire to keep Prescott as the team’s leader, his comments suggest that a deal might not be reached before the start of the season. “It says a lot if it is or if it isn’t,” Prescott remarked when asked about the possibility of securing an extension before the Cowboys’ season opener on September 8.
RELATED: Jerry Jones Delivers Blunt Justification for Staying On as Cowboys GM
Prescott, who turned 31 this year, is entering the final year of his current contract, which includes clauses preventing the team from trading or tagging him. The 2016 fourth-round draft pick, who has started 114 games for Dallas, acknowledged in July that the possibility of playing for another team might be a reality down the road.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Cowboys, Prescott is coming off a remarkable season where he led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and was a close contender for the MVP award. The Cowboys, who recently wrapped up another high-profile contract negotiation with All-Pro receiver CeeDee Lamb—resulting in a four-year, $136 million extension—are now left with the pressing task of securing their franchise quarterback’s future.
As both sides continue to negotiate, the outcome of Prescott’s contract talks remains one of the most closely watched storylines in the NFL.
