The Facts: Without a long-term deal done by the 4 p.m. ET deadline, Prescott will have to play the 2020 season on the franchise tag and the sides can't talk again about a long-term deal until January.
Diehards Line:
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, there was some late talks between the Cowboys and Prescott’s camp, but it didn’t seem to gain much traction. Prescott signed the exclusive franchise tag tender worth $31.4 million on June 22. As ESPN's Todd Archer explained, teams don't let franchise quarterbacks hit the market. The Cowboys hope this is a placeholder to the ultimate goal of both sides -- a long-term deal. That they didn't reach it this year doesn't mean they won't next year. Franchising him a second season in 2021 would cost the Cowboys $37.7 million. Archer went on to note, Prescott isn't just the starting QB; he's the leader of the team. Players on both sides of the ball follow him. He has improved as a passer each year, making great strides in 2019 to where he missed Tony Romo's record for passing yards in a season by 2 yards. He's not going anywhere anytime soon no matter how the game of tag plays out beyond this year.