Dak Prescott in driver’s seat during contract negotiations with Dallas Cowboys

The Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins are the latest teams to sign their franchise quarterbacks, signing Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa to four-year, $210 million-plus contract extensions.

Earlier in the offseason, the Jaguars did the same with Trevor Lawrence (five years, $275 million) and the Lions with Jared Goff (four years, $212 million).

But the Dallas Cowboys have been slacking in their approach to Dak Prescott and now find themselves in a situation where Prescott has all the power.

Prescott has no-trade, no-tag clauses in his contract, and if he puts together a similar 2024 season to his 2023, his real market value will be in another stratosphere.

This is a quarterback in the prime of his career, coming off a season in which he was the NFL’s MVP runner-up. Prescott, who celebrated his 31st birthday at training camp on Monday, had a banner year in 2023, throwing for 4,516 yards and leading the league in completions (410) and touchdown passes (36).

What’s that worth on the open market? Maybe $60 million a year? Maybe more?

If Prescott wants to know, he can do so.

If you’re Prescott, that might be tempting.

A few days ago, he publicly stated that playing for another team is not something to “be afraid of.” The NFL is a business, Prescott reminded reporters, and things can always change, including the logo on your uniform.

“I want to be here, but when you look at all the great quarterbacks I’ve seen, they’ve played for other teams,” Prescott said at training camp, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “So, my point is, I don’t have to be afraid of that. That could be a reality for me someday.”

But make no mistake: Prescott has repeatedly expressed his love and desire to stay with the Cowboys. That’s the preference. But the Cowboys have allowed the situation to get to the point where Prescott is talking about great quarterbacks who have changed teams over the years, ranging from Drew Brees to Tom Brady to Peyton Manning.

If the Cowboys were proactive, they wouldn’t be in this situation. In a quarterback-hungry industry, prices are only going to go up with each new deal. There will be no discount or Black Friday sale on franchise quarterbacks, and the Cowboys should know this better than anyone.

The Cowboys went through a similar ordeal to reach Prescott’s current deal. It took nearly two years for the sides to reach a four-year, $160 million extension ahead of the 2021 season. That deal calls for Prescott to add $55.1 million to the salary cap this season and another $40-plus million in dead money to the Cowboys’ salary cap next season.

Ultimately, Prescott has the leverage in this negotiation, but the Cowboys have to find a way to make it work. Owner Jerry Jones raves about Prescott, recently saying that Prescott is the “best leader I’ve ever seen,” according to the team’s website.

Most importantly, Prescott gives the Cowboys their best chance to win on Sunday. Yes, Prescott hasn’t had much success in the playoffs, and the quarterback is always the poster child for that failure. But this franchise hasn’t reached the NFC Championship game since the 1995 season. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

If there’s any hope of ending that drought, the Cowboys need a franchise quarterback. And Prescott is just that, something Jones is well aware of. That’s why the Cowboys and Prescott’s agent, Todd France, are continuing their extension talks.

“Make no mistake,” Jones said. “We are in discussions.”