Dak Prescott

QB Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract with the Cowboys on Monday. The deal includes $126 million guaranteed.

Fantasy Impact

Prescott’s deal includes a no-trade clause and is worth up to $164 million. The contract also includes $66 million to sign and $75 million in year one, the most in NFL history. Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that the Cowboys will place the franchise tag on Prescott Tuesday, meaning it’s a procedural move and he can’t be tagged again in the future. The 27-year-old underwent ankle surgery to repair a compound fracture and dislocation in October. He underwent a second procedure in December to strengthen his right ankle. Prescott will continue to recover from his ankle injury and is expected to be ready when training camp opens in July. The Cowboys franchise QB threw for 1,856 passing yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions across five games in 2020. Prescott is currently sixth among all quarterbacks in the latest expert consensus draft rankings.

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have not come to a contract agreement yet, but contract discussions are "more productive than they have been" in previous months, per an unnamed source of Calvin Watkins at Dallas News.

Fantasy Impact

The deadline for applying a franchise tag to a player is March 9th. While Prescott was deemed a very likely candidate to receive the franchise tag again, valued at $37.7M this year, this reporter's unnamed source seems to be alluding to a possible longterm deal. If the Cowboys do not tag or extend Prescott by March 17th, he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He would command a huge demand on the trade market, even after suffering a brutal season-ending foot injury in 2020. All of this seems very similar to what we saw last year; Dak wanting a longterm deal, beat reporters hinting at a possible longterm extension, and murmurs about him becoming an unrestricted free agent. Given the Cowboys' lack of depth at the position and Prescott's comfort with the team, it would be unlikely to see the 27-year-old quarterback not in Dallas next season, whether it be under a franchise tag or a longterm deal. There is less than a week until the franchise tag deadline, and legal tampering for free agency opens on March 15th. We will keep you updated on this developing story.

According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Cowboys want to do a long-term contract with QB Dak Prescott.

Fantasy Impact

Prescott can play under the franchise tag in 2021, which would fully guarantee the QB $37.7 million. “The Cowboys are confident enough in Prescott’s rehab to do a big-time, long-term deal now,” said Rapoport. Prescott underwent ankle surgery to repair a compound fracture and dislocation in October. He underwent a second surgery in December to strengthen his right ankle. The 27-year-old is expected to be ready for training camp in July. Prescott threw for 1,856 passing yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions across five games in 2020.

Dak Prescott underwent another surgery on his injured ankle, months after the initial surgery.

Fantasy Impact

This news was kept quiet until it leaked very recently. Reports are that the surgery is unrelated to the injury that he suffered in Week 5 of 2020. The surgery was reportedly meant to strengthen the deltoid ligament, clean out the ankle, and make it more structurally sound. Although it appears minor, this is something that should be monitored throughout the season, along with Prescott's contract situation.

Dak Prescott appears set to play in Dallas again in 2021. Ian Rapoport is reporting that the Cowboys plan to us the franchise tag on Prescott for a second consecutive year if they are unable to work out a longterm deal.

Fantasy Impact

With the quarterback rumor mill going wild these last few days, Dallas is getting ahead of the news by saying that Prescott will be their quarterback again next year. Prescott suffered a gruesome season-ending leg injury in Week 5 against the Giants but is reportedly progressing well and ahead of schedule. The fifth-year pro was off to an amazing start in 2020, throwing nine touchdowns and rushing for three over his first four games. Knowing that he’ll be playing for the Cowboys again next season offers a significant boost to Ezekiel Elliott’s value, along with the corps of pass-catchers. Prescott should be considered a top-tier fantasy quarterback in 2021.