Any Cowboys Drama Ahead for Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott?

During a time when coach and quarterback would be bonding one-on-one, watching film together, communicating and establishing a relationship… Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott are at a disadvantage.

DALLAS – It's a fresh start for former Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy in Dallas ... but it's a unique start. Now at the helm of the Dallas Cowboys, McCarthy’s plan for culture implementation has undoubtedly been challenged by social distancing.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the National Football League has halted most of its offseason activities. To manage the coronavirus spread, the league has closed the team facilities, cancelled all offseason team activities and established the 2020 NFL Draft as virtual.

Read: President Trump Pushes For Football in September; Is the NFL An Ally?

During a time when coach and quarterback would be bonding one-on-one, watching film together, communicating and establishing a relationship … McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott are, at the very least, at a disadvantage.

This doesn't mean it's a "problem'' (yet). Let's just call it a "challenge.''

McCarthy and Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a sometimes-tumultuous relationship for 13 years at Green Bay, that began with Rodgers' arrival via the 2005 NFL Draft despite Brett Favre's powerful presence in the organization. Thus began a juggling act that produced results ... and some prickly comments from Rodgers over the years.

A fresh start for McCarthy with a new organization and with a new quarterback talent is now off and running without any hesitation on if Prescott is the team’s franchise quarterback - its winning centerpiece.

"Definitely,'' McCarthy said in February. "It's exactly where we want to be with Dak. I think what he's done to this point speaks for itself. Dak is in a business situation right now. I've gone through this as a head coach with a number of my players in the past and, like anything, I think it's just time to be patient and let the business people work out the business matter."

Dallas placed the exclusive franchise tag on Prescott, who started in all 64 of the Cowboys' games the past four years. The Cowboys maintain that they are continuously working on a long-term deal and have until July 15 to craft such a deal. (It's worth noting that Dak has yet to sign the tender that will pay him at least $26.8 mil guaranteed in 2020.)

Contract aside, it’s uber-important that McCarthy and Prescott connect (over distance) and build their relationship ahead of the Cowboys’ 2020 season. Each needs to have enough confidence in the other to avoid some of the drama that loomed in Green Bay with McCarthy and Rodgers.

The challenge of developing that trust over distance is likely aided by McCarthy’s experience and success.

“I think it is a fair prediction that occasionally there will be conflict with Dak Prescott (and Mike McCarthy),” Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher said. “But, would you take it, on a whole? In Green Bay, McCarthy worked with Brett Farve and Rodgers. In 13 years, they made the playoffs eight times and won a super bowl. I think Cowboys Nation, over the next 13 years, would happily take that. Even if that means some ups and downs between coach and the quarterback.”

Check out the video below for more.