Suffering a serious injury is always the biggest concern for an NFL player playing under the franchise tag, and those fears were realized for Dak Prescott when he suffered a gruesome ankle injury on Sunday. If what Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones says about the situation is true, Prescott doesn’t have much to worry about.
Jones discussed Prescott’s ankle injury during an appearance on 105.3 The Fan Monday. When asked if the team’s stance in contract negotiations will change in the wake of Prescott’s injury, Jones said “absolutely not.”
“Absolutely not. Absolutely not. He’s our future. He’s special,” Jones said. “If anyone can overcome anything it will be Dak. It’s something our doctors feel like he’ll overcome, and he’ll come back better than ever.”
Jones said the Cowboys are “still in shock” over losing Prescott for the season, but they are confident he will be ready to go next season. The way Jones spoke made it clear that Prescott is still very much a part of the team’s future plans. He said he conveyed that message to the quarterback after the game.
“(I told him) how much our prayers are with him. How much we believe in him. How much we’re going to miss him,” Jones said. “But at the same time, he’s going to come back better, stronger … better than ever. (He’s) the face of our franchise, and we know that he’ll overcome this. He’s a driven, special man.”
Prescott is probably thinking more about his recovery than his contract situation. Fortunately, he’s only 27 and suffered the injury early in the season. His timeline for recovery is 4-6 months, so he should be able to prove he is fully healthy before negotiating a long-term deal.
Dez Bryant issued a warning to Jerry Jones about Prescott’s contract on Sunday, and Dak probably appreciates that. In all likelihood, though, the injury won’t have a huge impact on his earning potential.
