Report: Cowboys want to avoid franchise tag with Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott appears to be destined for the franchise tag with a long-term extension still not in place for the star quarterback, but the Dallas Cowboys remain hopeful that the situation will not get to that point.

Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones said again recently that the team is working hard to sign Prescott to a new deal, and Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported on Tuesday that Dallas still wants to reach an agreement before the March 10 deadline to use the franchise tag.

The #Cowboys are going to try to buck history, attempting to get a deal done with QB Dak Prescott by the close of the franchise tag window on March 10. A lot will have to happen for a deal to come together. pic.twitter.com/Csl9LVvvB9

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 11, 2020

As Rapoport notes, the franchise tag deadline isn’t really a deadline, as players who are tagged still have until July 15 to work out a long-term agreement with their teams. Although, the Cowboys could use the franchise tag on another player — perhaps Amari Cooper — if they agree to a long-term contract with Prescott prior to March 10.

We have heard some wild rumors in recent days about the Cowboys possibly replacing Prescott, but there’s almost no chance of that happening. The two sides have been negotiating since before the start of last season, and the Cowboys consider Prescott their quarterback of the future.

While most players would rather not play under the franchise tag, the Cowboys know they have more than a year to work out a long-term deal with Prescott. Obviously, they would prefer to get something done well before that.