Surprise! The Dallas Cowboys still haven't signed quarterback Dak Prescott a contract extension. 

And the waiting game is only hurting them. 

In fact, it's been hurting them for a long time, and former NFL agent-turned-CBS Sports writer and analyst, Joel Corry, got down to the bottom of the Cowboys' biggest mistake they made: refusing to be proactive in giving Prescott an extension. 

Dallas' mistake dates back to 2019 when the Cowboys opted to make edge rush DeMarcus Lawrence their top priority signing over Prescott. 

Cowboys Should Have Made Prescott a Priority… Five Years Ago

Corry explains that the Cowboys could have signed both at the time. 

"The Cowboys would have needed to make Prescott the top signing priority along with or instead of edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence, who was given a franchise tag for a second straight year in 2019 when he was scheduled to make $2.025 million during the final year of his rookie contract," Corry writes. 

It's not like Prescott didn't deserve it then considering he was fresh off a 2018 season where he threw for 2,225 yards and 12 touchdowns to just three interceptions, and the Cowboys won the NFC East. 

$31M Annually Would Have Been Enough!

Corry goes on to explain what Prescott would have cost the Cowboys if they went through with it. 

"A four-year, $124 million extension, averaging $31 million per year, would have been in line with the average of the league's three highest-paid players (Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins) at the time. Their contracts averaged $30,666,667 per year. The average length of these deals was four new years.

"Prescott's contract security likely would have needed to be consistent with the average of just over $94 million in guarantees where a little more than $85.5 million was fully guaranteed at signing for these three deals. The nearly $9.5 million in cap relief the Cowboys got from signing Lawrence could have come in handy for a Prescott deal."

If Prescott was the next QB to sign an extension then, the Cowboys would gotten the deal done before Russell Wilson reset the market with his $35 million per year contract, Corry notes. 

Additionally, if he signed his extension in 2019, Prescott's new contract year would have been in 2023.  

That offseason, the QB market was reset again with Deshaun Watson's fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract, averaging $46 million per year. 

Kyler Murray also signed a five-year, $230.5 million extension, averaging $46.1 million per year and Russell Wilson inked a five-year, $245 million extension, averaging $49 million per year. 

"The emerging trend of quarterbacks giving up five new years with extensions (Murray and Wilson) would have given the Cowboys more ammunition to get the same length," Corry writes. "The Wilson contract likely would have been an important data point in 2023 negotiations. Wilson having the worst season of his 11-year NFL career in 2022 along with the Cowboys getting an extra year this time around may have been enough for Prescott to join Rodgers in the $50 million-per-year club. Based on Wilson's deal, a five-year, $250 million extension with $175 million in overall guarantees, where $125 million was fully guaranteed at signing, could have been reasonably expected."

Jerry Jones Needs to Take Notes From Eagles' GM Howie Roseman

But now, according to Corry, the Cowboys are looking at having to pay Prescott at least $60 million per year with $150 million fully guaranteed, and more than $230 in total guarantees. 

"The Cowboys missed the opportunity to sign Prescott for nearly $10 million per year cheaper two years earlier with their actual approach to contract extensions," Corry writes. "Prescott could have been signed to a third contract most likely through the 2028 season with Dallas continually being proactive." 

If only Jerry Jones would have pulled a move Howie Roseman move back in 2019. 

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