OXNARD, Calif. (AP) — Having dealt with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones in multiple rounds of high-profile contract negotiations, quarterback Dak Prescott has played the proverbial game and lived to tell about it.
His own experience is why Prescott remains confident star defensive end Micah Parsons will be a Cowboy for this season and beyond.
“No, not necessarily,” Prescott said Thursday when asked if his mind ever goes to a place where Parsons might not be his teammate following the two-time All-Pro
pass rusher’s public trade request. “I think if I wouldn’t have been in his shoes and have watched other guys be in his shoes and get rewarded, maybe. But I feel like it was last year, I’ve got faith in Jones and the team, as I do in Micah and his team. So that’s who I am, and that’s what I’m going to continue to believe and be optimistic. And 11’s a Cowboy.”
Jones’ willingness to let contract disputes play out in public adds a different dimension to an already emotional situation, as Prescott found out in 2020, when he played on the franchise tag after being unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension, and in 2021 and last year as a free agent when long-term deals were reached.
Prescott admitted it was hard not to take things personally in his dealings with Jones and executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones, but as soon as a contract was finalized, everything was put aside.
“It’s when the business gets done,” Prescott said. “And, honestly, not this past one, but the first one, there was some tension between me and the Jones, going back to 2020. I’m playing on the franchise tag, I break my ankle, and I say tension is more so, like, we just weren’t talking. Honestly, there’d be times I’d see them, I’m gonna go this other way, right?
“And then you get a phone call, hey, your agent calls you, we got the deal done. This, this, and that, you know, you celebrate. And then you get a call right after that from Jerry.”
In addition to his own history, Prescott has seen numerous current and former teammates go through similar circumstances, including wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, running back Ezekiel Elliott and guard Zach Martin.
“That’s what happens in business, is people get emotional, and people make it personal at times,” Prescott said. “But when that deal happens, like, we can make it go away. Because the tension wasn’t personal to begin with.”
What seems to be causing trouble between Jerry Jones and Parsons is the exact nature of talks between the two during the spring.
Prescott held direct conversations with both Jones last year but made it a point never to discuss numbers, leaving that to his agent instead. Prescott ultimately got his latest contract, a four-year deal that made him the highest paid player in NFL history, hours before the 2024 season opener.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I do re-sign if I don’t have those conversations,” Prescott said. “And it was much more than it was the numbers, so that’s why those conversations were needed.”
Having been where Parsons is now, Prescott hopes there will be a resolution soon that pleases both sides.
“And I can say it from experience, that it’s just frustrating, and I hate that he’s going through it,” Prescott said. “But, as I’ve told him, keep handling things the way that you are, and I believe he should be paid.”
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