Report: Cowboys and Dak Prescott 'Not Close' On Contract Extension

DALLAS - With the July 15 deadline quickly approaching, the Dallas Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott are both under pressure to come to an agreement. So now comes the obligatory "Are-they-close?'' temperature-taking from the media.

According to a report from The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins, the two sides are 'not close' to arriving at that agreement.

Situation could change before July 15 deadline but a source said Sunday afternoon Cowboys are not close to reaching a multi-year contract with QB Dak Prescott. He would enter 2020 season on $31.4M franchise tag if no deal by deadline.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) July 12, 2020

And while that technically may be true at this precise moment?

Calvin is right. Things could change. Or not change. Or re-change. Or un-change. Or change multiple times. Or ... https://t.co/xTILw9UJRt
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) July 12, 2020

Things change. And we can tell you that the people who actually handle these sorts of negotiations mostly chuckle at the media's attempts to provide "blow-by-blow descriptions'' of talks.

Other keen observers chuckle, too, especially at the CYA nature of it all ...

“Ignore my previous tweet” would be less characters tbh https://t.co/pJA22ZEEmp
— ₗₐₙᴰₒₙ (@McCoolBCB) July 12, 2020

Prescott, who has already agreed to the $31.409 million franchise tag, is now locked into playing next season under that deal unless the two sides can find a long-term solution by Wednesday.

That said, lack of movement on negotiations on a Sunday is not necessarily indicative of a "problem,'' but rather - in some cases - media attempting to move the needle a bit, and as our Mike Fisher has already reported, it is simply a matter of the two sides not advancing the ball in their talks as of yet.

We believe this piece frames where #Dak & #Cowboys are at the moment. The immediate ‘lack of movement’ causes the media to try to move ... https://t.co/t901qnfsVK
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) July 12, 2020

One example of this: In the immediate aftermath of the Kansas City Chiefs ' quarterback Patrick signing of a record 10-year, $500 million contract last week, the Cowboys media rushed to exclaim all the ways that it would somehow affect the negotiations for Prescott's deal. ... none of which is yet provable.

While Prescott is indeed a high-level and likely first-tier player at the position, Mahomes, backed by his Super Bowl win and seemingly endless personal talent pool, is simply in another stratosphere, and one of a handful of quarterbacks deserving of such a contract.

ESPN this weekend wrote of Dak wanting a "bulletproof contract.'' It was an attempt to garner attention for a different angle on the story ...

Source talks of ‘media herd mentality’ freeing some to write gibberish - which includes pronouncements of ‘not close,’ ‘close,’ ‘heating up,’ etc ... most of it nonsense. https://t.co/t901qnfsVK
— fishsports ✭ (@fishsports) July 12, 2020

But we cannot verify that the involved parties have ever used such unorthodox language.

The reality is, Cowboys-and-Dak options remain; we've nailed down the five of them here. They provide ways for "not close'' to change in a snap of the fingers. A heartbeat. A phone call.

But "not close'' is a headline-grabber. To wit ...

Dak Prescott 'not close' to contract with Cowboys https://t.co/9v3cAcTmGM
— Rotoworld Football (@rotoworld_fb) July 12, 2020

It that factual? Is it news? Whatever the case, the fact remains that Prescott and the Cowboys will continue to find their way to a solution before July 15, and if they are unable to do so, will simply re-evaluate the situation once they are able to do so again after this season ... while having dealt with whatever positives or negatives come from the 2020 campaign.

After all, as Jerry Jones has famously said on multiple occasions - and as he first said to Fish in the spring of 1990 - "Deadlines make deals.''