Dak Done: QB Signs $31.409M Tender, Becomes Cowboys Highest-Paid Ever

It's Official: Dak Prescott Signs His $31.409M Tender, Becomes Dallas Cowboys Highest-Paid Ever ... So Dak is Done - For Now

FRISCO - Dallas Cowboys star Dak Prescott has signed his $31.409 million exclusive franchise tender, the paperwork completed on Monday. What's next for the quarterback and "America's Team''? Let's discuss ...

The goal remains to agree on a long-term deal - the Cowboys have offered five years and $35 million average per season (totaling $175 million) with at least $106 million in virtual guarantees, as CowboysSI.com first reported in early spring. But Prescott and agent Todd France of CAA prefer a shorter-term (four-year, Russell Wilson-style) deal. 

The Cowboys and Prescott have until the league’s July 15 deadline to come to an agreement beyond this tender signing (as first reported by David Helman of DallasCowboys.com, and if they do, Prescott will become the richest Cowboy ever. But even now, with the one-year franchise tender agreement, Prescott becomes the highest-paid single-season Cowboy in the team’s history.

In terms of the negotiation process, we believe this can be a step forward to that long-term agreement. (Our educated guess is that Dallas' side might be the one to fold, down to the four-year request). But certainly Dallas' "bet'' that Dak's character and leadership would preclude him from staging a nasty holdout has paid off.

Additionally, Prescott's desire to be with his guys is probably supplemented here by his desire to begin work with coaches on the new system and playbook under new coach Mike McCarthy.

But ultimately, while Prescott could in theory play on the tag this year and do the same in 2021 (with a total two-year guaranteed salary of $69 million), Monday's news can be an inch toward the next thing, as this opens up the line of communications now to try to get something done before July 15.