Jimmy Johnson rips Cowboys over 1 big contract decision

Feb 1, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Hall of Fame inductee Jimmy Johnson speaks to the media during the NFL Honors awards presentation at Adrienne Arsht Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys were largely praised for hammering out a contract extension with Dak Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season, but one franchise legend believes it was a bad decision.

During a Wednesday appearance on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd, former Cowboys head coach Jimmy Johnson was asked what he would do this upcoming offseason to address some of the issues in Dallas. The two-time Super Bowl champion first began by questioning the team’s decision to give Prescott a 4-year, $240 million extension.

“Well, first of all, they’re so financially strapped with some of these contracts. First of all, I would have never given Prescott a new contract,” Johnson said. “I’d let him play it out. He’s the highest-paid player in the league. He’s not the best player in the league.

“He wasn’t gonna go anywhere. If they had gone to the Super Bowl with him, hey, he wasn’t gonna go anywhere. Pay him whatever. If he struggled in the playoffs, then you negotiate. Or if he got hurt, you save money.”

.@JimmyJohnson on Dak:

"I would never have given Prescott a new contract. I'd have let him play it out… They're so financially strapped right now. I don't know what they do." pic.twitter.com/2sOLRRTTCx

— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 27, 2024

Johnson feels the Cowboys had plenty of leverage in negotiations with Prescott. That is only true if Dallas was willing to risk losing the quarterback.

Prescott’s previous deal with the Cowboys had a no-franchise tag clause, so that was not an option for the team in 2025. Even if Dak had a down year and Dallas missed the playoffs, there almost certainly would have been other teams that were willing to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the league. That is why the Cowboys chose to get the extension done rather than waiting for the QB market to soar even higher.

Of course, Johnson has delivered more than one negative take about the Cowboys this season.