Dak Prescott Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Throughout his career with the Dallas Cowboys, starting quarterback Dak Prescott has not necessarily led the team to its goals as he has yet to lead a deep playoff run. But because of his contract situation, the Cowboys are stuck with him – unless they want to take an absolutely massive salary cap hit.

As league insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains, Dak Prescott has all the leverage in contract negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys as the team doesn’t really have any choice but to sign him to a contract extension.

“Because they dragged their feet with Dak Prescott in the past, their present entails: (1) Dak entering the last year of his contract; (2) the Cowboys having no way to use the franchise tag to keep him in place for 2025; and (3) a massive 2024 cap number of $59.4 million,” Florio wrote for Por Football Talk.

“It gives Dak all the cards in the negotiations for an extension. He has the kind of leverage that owner/G.M. Jerry Jones would fully exploit, if in the same situation. Basically, Dak can name his terms.”

Essentially, the Cowboys are in a position where they either have to sign him to a contract extension, or they will have to eat an absolutely massive hit to the salary cap that will limit their ability to sign other players.

“Regardless, at some point in the next 12 months the Cowboys either need to pay Dak or watch him walk away. And if they don’t extend his contract, they’ll take a total cap charge of $95.915 million in his name over the next two league years,” Florio wrote.

All in all, it’s a pretty horrible situation for the Cowboys, especially considering Prescott has not led the team on a deep postseason run his entire career.

[Pro Football Talk]