A major decision looms for the Dallas Cowboys this off-season as they have to deal with the contract of their starting quarterback Dak Prescott.  Some argue that he has earned the right to an extension and that paying him now would save the team a lot of money in the long run.  The other option would be simply to just let him play out the final year of his deal and see if he is truly worthy of being the face of the franchise.

Dak will enter the final year of his rookie deal, which really didn’t pay him much money compared to his peers.  Remember,  Dak was a fourth-round draft pick, and he’s finally making over 2,000,000 for the first time in his career this year.  So with a resume he’s built over the past three years, there is no question he wants and deserves a major pay raise. The problem here is that Prescott wants what the market thinks a QB should get paid and that is too much for someone like Dak.  Right now, an average of $30 million a year is the market’s going rate for a quarterback.  Does Dak really deserve that much money?

In his three-year career, Dak has had a lot of highs and lows and never has shown a consistency to his game.  In 2016, he was absolutely one of the best quarterbacks and had a rookie year for the history books.  Then he followed it up with a terrible sophomore season in which his decision making become suspect.  It continued last season until the Amari Cooper trade and then Dak got on a hot streak and played well down the stretch.

The numbers aren’t gaudy but he has the second-most wins in the NFL behind Tom Brady since 2016. While his interceptions are very low, his fumbles have become a cause for concern. He starts off games very pedestrian but he comes alive in the fourth quarter to lead comeback victories.

There is a case for him to get paid but again is he worth what the top players are making?

How about we wait one more year to see if he is truly worth it?  Let Dak play out his final year, just like you are doing with the head coach.  Let it fly on a final season with both men and see what they can come up with.  If Dak has a great season and leads the team past the divisional round for the first time, then I am sure the Cowboys’ brass would love to pay him whatever he is worth and then some.  He would have been the first quarterback since Troy Aikman to get the team to the conference title game.

If Dak doesn’t and the team misses the playoffs, then the Cowboys could use this opportunity to do two things.   The first is to franchise Dak and secure him for one more year.  The other is to use your first-round pick on one of the quarterbacks in the 2020 draft and secure your future.

Yes, this seems pretty harsh and could leave a bad taste for a lot of people, but that is the sports world. If you can’t get it done, you look for someone who can get it done.

Now, the Cowboys aren’t likely to go this route at all.  It seems likely they want to extend Dak now before the market rises for quarterbacks next off-season.  That option is a safe one and the best route to go for if they believe he is a franchise QB.  If they don’t, they should really consider my plan.  Either way, fans will have to wait and see what the Cowboys have up their sleeves.