Presumably, Andy Dalton becomes the backup to Dak Prescott in Dallas. But with Prescott not yet accepting a franchise tender with a value in excess of $31 million, it’s reasonable to ask the question posed in the headline of this item: Would the Cowboys rescind Dak’s tender?
Until Prescott accepts the one-year offer, the Cowboys have the ability to yank it. And Dalton gives Dallas an intriguing bird in the hand in the event that the Cowboys can’t work something out with Prescott and potentially decide, depending on the whims of owner/G.M. Jerry Jones, to rescind the franchise tender, making Dalton the Dallas starter and saving well over $20 million in the process.
While that’s highly unlikely, stranger things have happened. And if coach Mike McCarthy, who has no history with Prescott, is comfortable with Dalton and if Jerry and Stephen Jones grow sufficiently weary of Dak’s demands, it’s impossible to completely and entirely rule out the possibility of a Texas native taking over America’s Team.
It that were to happen, what would happen with Dak? The starting jobs are set for most teams, and those that would consider Prescott (primarily, the Patriots and the Jaguars) don’t have the cap space to give him the kind of money he’d make in Dallas, if he were to accept the tender.
Beyond New England and Jacksonville, which other teams would even consider turning their plans for 2020 upside down and signing Dak to the kind of deal he’s demanding in Dallas? Would the Jets bench Sam Darnold? Would the Browns bump Baker Mayfield? Would the Raiders jettison Derek Carr? Would Washington pull the plug on Dwayne Haskins?
With the Cowboys to date intent on keeping Dak, the question of whether and to what extent another team would make a move for Prescott has yet to be raised. Budgets have been set and money has been spent and if the Cowboys wait until, say, July to make the move, Prescott would be very hard pressed to find a landing spot.
Again, it’s unlikely. But it’s a suddenly fascinating possibility, and it gives the Cowboys a little extra leverage at a time when they otherwise have none.