Camp Cowboys: QB Dak Prescott 'playing dumb' - and playing football

OXNARD - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is spending the opening days of training camp focused on playing football -- but for one moment with the media when he focused on "playing dumb.''

By Mike Fisher

OXNARD - Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is spending the opening days of training camp focused on playing football -- but for one moment with the media when he focused on "playing dumb.''

When asked one too many contract-related questions -- the coming extension of his contract, the holdout-causing desire for an extension for buddy Ezekiel Elliott -- Dak borrowed a page from owner Jerry Jones, who on Friday used the noise of a construction worker's tools to pretend he couldn't hear questions about coach Jason Garrett's job security.

“What did Jerry do (Friday)?,'' Dak said in response to the rapid-fire queries. "I didn’t hear you!''

Prescott is respectful of Elliott's position, and said, "We’ve talked. Quick communications. But that’s all business. That’s for him to handle.''

But then he quickly steered the conversation back to himself and his team.

"My job right now,'' he said, "is just come out here and make sure this team is getting better. I’m making sure I’m getting myself better and everyone out here. That’s my main focus is being the best team we can be with everyone here. We know he will take care of himself.''

It is also believed the contract negotiations will, in a way, "take care of itself.'' I've reported before in this space that Dak may be satisfied with something less than Philly QB Carson Wentz' $34-mil APY -- that maybe Prescott's "threshold'' goal is more like just over $30 mil. If I'm right, these negotiations are that much closer to getting settled while Dallas is in camp.

“I’m not here to talk about my contract and that stuff,” Prescott said. “Talks, I’m sure, at this point are continuously happening. For me, it’s to come out here and focus on this, not be distracted by any of that stuff, any of that conversation, just focus on being better, just being the best player I can be and making sure everyone around me is a well.”

No player prefers to enter the season with an issue like this dangling in the air -- serious injury being among the reasons. But Dak put an interesting spin on a timetable, suggesting that a little more time (at least in the preseason) can be used to increase his worth.

“It will happen when it happens,” said Dak, presently scheduled to make just $2 mil in 2019. “I know I’ll be better by the time the regular season starts. As I said, that’s my focus.”

And of course, that focus is all about title contention.

“We have high expectations,” Prescott said. “I think our expectations for this team, I know mine, are probably higher than anyone’s, so pressure is what you create. You put pressure on yourself. When you come in and you focus on what you’re supposed to do and you focus on the things that you can control the pressure goes out the window or those things really don’t matter because you know that you’re in control.

“That’s my mindset and I know that’s this team’s mindset. If we can continue for that to be contagious and everybody have that, we’ll put ourselves in a great position.”