The Dallas Cowboys put the exclusive rights tag on quarterback Dak Prescott after the two sides failed to agree to a suitable contract before Monday’s tag deadline.

A predictable move from the front office as ongoing reports continue to surface that neither camp is close to an agreement. This will allow the Cowboys to continue negotiations with Prescott without any interference from other NFL teams. At minimum, it secures Prescott’s short-term future with the team for next season.

The tag comes after other quarterbacks such as Tennessee’s Ryan Tannehill and Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins both signed extensions.

The deadline to use the franchise tag was 12 p.m. ET today. Dallas now has until July 15th to get Prescott signed to a long-term agreement if their hope is to not let him play under the tag in 2020.

The price point has long been a topic of discussion for Prescott and the “exclusive” tag guarantees the average of the top-five salaries from NFL quarterbacks, which will be reportedly $31.5 million this season.

In terms of annual salary, $31.5 million places him behind of Carson Wentz ($32 mil) and Jared Goff ($33.5 mil), but just ahead of Matt Ryan ($30 mil).

When the new collective bargaining agreement was officially approved Sunday, teams lost their ability to use both the franchise and transition tags in 2020. With other key free agents such as Amari Cooper and Byron Jones on the slate, the Cowboys front office will be forced to approach their situations as unrestricted free agents.

Prescott is coming off of a career year where he threw for 4,902 yards, 30 touchdowns and boasted a 99.7 passer rating.

With his rights reserved for one more season, it’s now up to Dallas to decide how the rest of these negotiations play out before the July 15th deadline.