Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones is out here asking for hometown discounts again. At Wednesday’s golf tournament for sponsors, Jones was pushing a (laughable) theory that Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper should think about how much simply wearing a Cowboys uniform could mean to their financial futures.
Jones reportedly made the following statement with a straight face:
“If we can talk them into not maxing out, doing well, but not maxed, that allows us to have other good football players around them,” Jones said. “And we all know what happens, you look at the TV booths and look at what these players do off the field. If we can put Super Bowl rings on these guys, they’ll be legends around this area for many, many, many years to come.
“What they may give up a little bit in their contract, they should be able to invest in being a Cowboy and making our teams better.”
I bet the agents for Prescott and Cooper can’t wait to advise their clients to make that sacrifice. I mean, since this team is just flush with Super Bowl rings in recent years. And I’m sure Jason Witten’s whiff on Monday Night Football won’t stop the parade of Cowboys to the booth.
I have no problem with Jones attempting to drive a hard bargain, but he should at least avoid delusional statements in public. Can’t he leave that to his father?
Prescott is literally taking any endorsement in sight to make up for his relatively spartan first contract. He’ll have no inclination to take a below-market deal. Only Tom Brady has been open to that sort of approach, but he’s acknowledged that being married to a high-earning supermodel has made him more benevolent. Prescott isn’t married, and he’s been temporarily separated from one of his beloved dogs after it mangled a neighbor’s hand and was banned from the City of Frisco.
There are reports Prescott is seeking $30 million per season, which would put him just behind Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. He’s not close to those players at this point in his career, but he carries all the leverage. All Stephen and Jerry can do is plead for Prescott to think about the rest of the roster. It did seem like Stephen caught himself at one point Wednesday.
“It’s not their job to manage the cap; I understand that,” Jones said. “But it is my job and Jerry’s job, so they will understand why we’re negotiating hard to make the very best deal we can. Because the money, if we can talk them into not maxing out — doing well, but not maxed — then that allows us to have other good football players around them.”
These players hire agents to maximize their salaries. They have a short period of time to make life-changing money, so there’s not much incentive to take one for the team, so to speak. Prescott likely believes that’s what he’s done while being one of the lowest-paid starting quarterbacks in the league his first three years.
The Cowboys could roll the dice and have a situation where Jason Garrett and Prescott are both performing in the final year of their contracts. Jerry loves that situation with Garrett because he thinks it plays well with fans and creates a sense of urgency. He did that with a young Romo in 2007 and he ended up paying a premium halfway through that season.
Romo was annoyed that it took so long, but it didn’t impact him on the field. Prescott has started more games than Romo had at that point. I don’t think it would play well in the locker room if the Cowboys took a wait-and-see approach with their franchise quarterback.
Prescott’s not as gifted as Carson Wentz in Philly, but he’s been more durable. Both of those quarterbacks will get huge contracts. The days of needing to win big in the playoffs before receiving lucrative contracts are over. Players are paid based on upside all the time. And Prescott shouldn’t feel any guilt in cashing in soon.
Stephen can continue to advocate for a selfless approach from Cooper and Prescott, but it’s a flimsy platform. I don’t recall him trying to sell Romo on this theory, and it certainly didn’t work with DeMarcus Lawrence. The Cowboys will have to pay the going rate for Prescott, Cooper and then Zeke Elliott.
The good news is they absolutely lucked out with a fourth-round pick after having more interest in Paxton Lynch (yikes) and Connor Cook. The fact they will pay huge money to Prescott is a reminder how fortunate they were in the draft.
Max this man out and stop asking him for discounts, unless you can get him a guaranteed TV gig upon retirement. Stephen’s just doing a little posturing in the media, but it’s still a bad look.