After a long negotiation that dragged on into the start of the 2024 season, Dak Prescott closed his second mega-contract with the Dallas Cowboys, which will pay him $240 million over four years, with $231 million guaranteed.
The deal came after the Cowboys paid another market-leading contract extension to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, for $136 million over four years.
Once again, Dallas is embroiled in lengthy contract negotiations with a local star. Linebacker Micah Parsons is about to sign a deal that will likely put him in the running to become the highest-paid defender in NFL history.
Stephen Jones and his team negotiation strategy
Other teams look to lock up similar players early; a notable example is the Cowboys‘ division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, who just won the Super Bowl with perhaps the most talented roster in the NFL.
Others in the league have taken note, such as Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals (whose team had significant internal issues to resolve this preseason), who has openly asked his team to do the same.
The Baltimore Ravens have indicated that they plan to follow the example of the Buffalo Bills by extending the contract of quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Dallas co-owner Stephen Jones, son of Jerry Jones, was asked about the team’s negotiating strategy and said he is not concerned about the team’s tendency to wait.
“We’ve done early negotiations before, and we’ve waited until the end to do it,” Jones said, according to ESPN. “A lot of the problem is the negotiation itself. Some take longer than others. And we don’t give any credence to those who say it’s too long to wait.”
Ultimately, it takes two parties to reach an early agreement, and some players may choose to bet on themselves and try to cash in on their earning potential. However, other teams seem to have found a way to keep their core together without jeopardizing their future salary cap situation.
Read the full article here
