Here is the latest on the Dak Prescott-Cowboys contract negotiations

The Dallas Cowboys have until March 9 to place the franchise tag on Dak Prescott for a second straight season. They hope to sign the star quarterback to a long-term contract extension before then, but that apparently is not close to happening.

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said on “Get Up!” Tuesday morning that Prescott’s representatives and the Cowboys have not made any real progress toward a long-term deal.

“Very important to point out here — speaking with people on both sides of this thing, it does not sound as if any progress has been made toward a long-term extension for Dak Prescott,” Darlington reported. “While this is the beginning of the process for this year, it also feels like there is a very long way to go.”

If Dallas does wind up placing the franchise tag on Prescott again, the two sides will have until July to discuss a long-term contract. However, it is significant that they are reportedly not close to a deal. Prescott and the Cowboys negotiated last offseason as well, so you would think some sort of progress was made. That may not be the case.

Prescott has more leverage this offseason, as the cap-strapped Cowboys would have to pay him $37.7 million if he plays under the franchise tag in 2021. That is probably Prescott’s best bargaining chip, and it sounds like he plans to use it given the report we recently heard about how much money he wants.

It was reported last year that Prescott and the Cowboys only disagreed over the length of a potential long-term deal. There is clearly more to it than that, however.

One former NFL quarterback recently explained why he thinks Prescott should give the Cowboys a hometown discount, but that seems unlikely to happen with where things currently stand.

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