Cowboys: Why Dak Prescott's wish is more than just that
You can tell that Dak Prescott was affected by the Dallas Cowboys' decision to release Ezekiel Elliott. How couldn't he be? Not only did both arrive in the NFL in the same year to play for the same iconic team but they wrote a story quite difficult to replicate. As rookies, one was slated for […]
You can tell that Dak Prescott was affected by the Dallas Cowboys' decision to release Ezekiel Elliott. How couldn't he be? Not only did both arrive in the NFL in the same year to play for the same iconic team but they wrote a story quite difficult to replicate.
As rookies, one was slated for superstardom since the moment he was drafted fourth overall while the other was pushed into an unexpected starting role as quarterback of the team as a result of multiple injuries at the position. Despite their inexperience, they still led the Cowboys to the NFC's top seed with a 13-3 record.
They were the league's most charming duo. When Dak was inevitably awarded the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, he walked to the stage joined by Zeke and jokingly asked if someone had a knife to split the award in half. I bet he was genuinely hoping someone would come through so he could actually do it.
Now, Prescott has to deal with the reality of the NFL. Not For Long is more than a cliché. It is the way in pro football. And yet, Dak isn't giving up hope on bringing Elliott back to the Cowboys even though he was released this very offseason.
"That sure would be nice," Prescott said on Adam Schefter's podcast about a potential reunion with his buddy. "There are a lot of people not only on the team but in the organization that would love that."
But the following four words are what really stick out when listening to him: "Hopefully that could happen."
What intrigues me the most about this whole conversation is the fact that Prescott seems to be approaching it in a different light than he'd usually do with this type of stuff. He's not explaining that it's up to the coaches or the front office. Instead, it's almost as if he's publicly lobbying for his guy to return.
And we've rarely seen him do that in his career. And just like Zeke's own departure from the Cowboys suggests, Dak is in a very different stage of his career. He's the quarterback the Cowboys decided to pay $40 million a year not that long ago. The team is already looking into another contract extension which could come as soon as this offseason, too.
Whether bringing him back or not is worth discussing. But as of right now, what really gets me thinking is: Will he pound the table for Elliott behind the scenes? Veteran franchise quarterbacks are known to do that. If they want a particular free agent on the team they'll bust through the front office's doors and demand the move to happen. It's no secret this happens.
Sometimes it'll work, sometimes it won't. But it's usually a right reserved for top quarterbacks around the league. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers might've done it but Jared Goff isn't likely to do that over in Detroit, you see?
Do the Cowboys think highly enough of Prescott to go get him even if they don't think it's what's best for the team? I guess we'll find out.
"(Moving on from Zeke) still doesn't feel right," said Prescott on Schefter's podcast. "He won't be a free agent for long. I don't understand why he still is. It's been tough."
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